KANDY: Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first in the third one-day international against Sri Lanka at Pallekele on Wednesday. Sri Lanka’s victories in the first and second ODIs, with margins of 42 runs and 155 runs respectively, positioned them strongly.
Sri Lanka made strategic changes, resting spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, and introducing off-spinner Akila Dananjaya and all-rounder Dunith Wellalage. Notably, Dananjaya marks his return to the Sri Lankan side after his last appearance in 2021.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan adjusted their lineup, omitting Gulbadin Naib and Noor Ahmad from the previous match, and including left-arm seamer Fareed Ahmad and left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf. The teams for the match are as follows:
Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (capt and wk), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Akila Dananjaya, Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Alikhil, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Qais Ahmad
Umpires: Alex Wharf (ENG) and Raveendra Wimalasiri (SRI)
Third Umpire: Michael Gough (ENG)
Match Referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
Afghanistan, Bat, First, Third, ODI, Clash, Sri Lanka
