The sixth Asia Cup ODI 2023 fixture is set for a showdown between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka on Tuesday, September 6, 2023. The venue for this exciting match will be the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

In a pivotal fixture of this season’s Asia Cup, Afghanistan is set to take on Sri Lanka. The outcome of this match holds significant implications as the victor secures a berth in the Super Four stage. Sri Lanka, the defending champions, commenced the tournament in fine form, claiming a resounding victory over Bangladesh by a comfortable five-wicket margin in their opening match. They are now just one win away from securing their place in the Super Four stage. On the other hand, Afghanistan faced defeat in their initial encounter against Bangladesh, leaving them with no option but to secure a win in this match to secure a spot among the top four teams in the tournament.

Afghanistan’s performance in this tournament got off to a rocky start, with a resounding 89-run loss to Bangladesh in their opening match. Their woes began when they lost the toss and were tasked with fielding first. Unfortunately, their bowling unit struggled, conceding a total of 334 runs in 50 overs. Gulbadin Naib was the lone bright spot among the bowlers, securing a single wicket in his eight overs while conceding 58 runs. Mujeeb Ur Rahman also managed to claim one wicket but gave away a significant number of runs, tallying 62 runs in his ten overs.

The likes of Fazalhaq Farooqi, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid Khan were unable to make an impact, failing to secure any wickets. Despite having a strong and experienced batting order, Afghanistan faltered in their chase, bowled out for just 245 runs in 44.3 overs while pursuing a target of 335 runs.

Ibrahim Zadran emerged as the top performer for Afghanistan, notching up an impressive 75 runs off 74 balls, embellishing his innings with ten boundaries and a towering six. Hashmatullah Shahidi contributed 51 runs, while Rahmat Shah managed 33 runs before the team was dismissed.

Sri Lanka delivered an impressive performance in their tournament opener, securing a commanding five-wicket victory over Bangladesh. Despite losing the toss and being tasked with fielding first, their bowlers shone brightly. They managed to dismiss the entire Bangladesh team for a mere 164 runs in 42.4 overs. Matheesha Pathirana emerged as the standout performer, claiming four crucial wickets in 7.4 overs while conceding just 32 runs. M Theekshana also made a significant contribution, taking two wickets in eight overs for a mere 19 runs.

Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, and the skipper, Dasun Shanaka, each chipped in with a wicket apiece, while Kasun Rajitha was the only Sri Lankan bowler who couldn’t secure a wicket.

Sri Lanka’s batting order faced some challenges, but they successfully chased down the target of 165 runs in 39 overs. Charith Asalanka led the charge, finishing as the highest run-scorer with an unbeaten 62 runs from 92 balls, featuring five boundaries and a massive six. Sadeera Samarawickrama also made a noteworthy contribution, tallying 54 runs off 77 balls with six boundaries to his name. Pathum Nissanka and Dasun Shanaka both chipped in with 14 runs each to seal the victory.

Sri Lanka boasts a formidable and seasoned ODI team, and it’s indisputable that, at least on paper, they hold the upper hand over Afghanistan. According to match predictions, Sri Lanka is the favored team to triumph in this 6th Match, and there are several compelling reasons for this outlook:

• Sri Lanka’s confidence is riding high after their victory in the first match.
• Recent history is on Sri Lanka’s side, as they have won three of their last four encounters against Afghanistan.
• The pressure is mounting on Afghanistan, especially after their initial loss.
• Sri Lanka possesses superior power-hitting capabilities when compared to Afghanistan.
• Sri Lanka has displayed remarkable consistency by winning their last 11 consecutive ODI matches.

These factors collectively establish Sri Lanka as the frontrunner for this upcoming match.

Sri Lanka’s ODI squad is a blend of seasoned veterans and promising young talents. With a robust batting lineup that includes renowned power-hitters in the ODI format, Sri Lanka’s prospects for today’s match have been significantly bolstered. The match prediction for today’s 6th Match unfolds as follows:

Sri Lanka stands at a 60% probability of emerging victorious.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, holds a 40% chance of securing a win in the 6th Match today.

In the Asia Cup 2023, the toss is poised to wield significant influence over the outcome of all matches. In high-stakes encounters like these, setting a formidable total on the scoreboard holds paramount importance. As per our toss prediction, the team that wins the coin toss is likely to opt for batting first.

The upcoming 6th match of the Asia Cup ODI 2023 is scheduled to take place at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. The pitch at this venue is renowned for providing a flat batting surface characterized by ample pace and bounce. Unlike some other pitches, it tends to be slower, making it conducive for spin bowlers to excel.

Anticipating the pitch’s behavior, we expect it to progressively slow down during this 6th Match, making batting more challenging. A target in the range of 270 to 280 runs will likely prove to be a formidable challenge for any team attempting a chase.

The weather outlook for Lahore indicates high temperatures that will put the players’ physical endurance to the test. While the forecast mentions the presence of some clouds on match day, there is no indication of rain. Consequently, we anticipate that the 6th Match will proceed without any interruptions, allowing for a full and uninterrupted game.

Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have crossed paths in a total of 10 ODI matches. Among these encounters, Afghanistan emerged victorious in three matches, while Sri Lanka secured wins in six. Interestingly, one of their confrontations ended without a decisive result.

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana.

Captain: Matheesha Pathirana
Vice-Captain: Ibrahim Zadran
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Mohammad Nabi, Dhananjaya de Silva, Gulbadin Naib, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi

• Date: Tuesday, 6th September 2023
• Time: 09:30 AM GMT / 02:30 PM LOCAL / 03:00 PM IST

• Stadium: Gaddafi Stadium
• Location: Lahore, Pakistan
• Opened: 1959
• Capacity: 27,000
• Known as: Lahore Stadium
• Ends: Pavilion End, College End
• Time Zone: UTC +05:00
• Home to: Lahore
• Other Sports: It is home to Hockey
• Floodlights: Yes

• Total matches: 69
• Matches won batting first: 34
• Matches won bowling first: 33
• Average 1st Inns scores: 251
• Average 2nd Inns scores: 215
• Highest total recorded: 375/3 (50 Ov) by PAK vs ZIM
• Lowest total recorded: 75/10 (22.5 Ov) by PAK vs SL
• Highest score chased: 349/4 (49 Ov) by PAK vs AUS
• Lowest score defended: 170/8 (40 Ov) by WI vs PAK

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Riaz Hassan, Ikram Alikhil, Abdul Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Suliman Safi.