Sri Lanka should still make a tactical change.
Afghanistan will face Sri Lanka in a must-win clash in Abu Dhabi later today, and their defeat against Bangladesh meant they can’t afford a slip-up. While the Lankans’ bowling unit has fired in both games, they should still make a tactical change for the Afghanistan fixture, as Bangladesh did the other day.
Bangladesh dropped their off-spinner, Mahedi Hasan, and brought in a left-arm orthodox, Nasum Ahmed, who bowled a fabulous spell at the same venue where today’s game will occur. He snared two wickets for 11 runs at an economy rate of 2.80 in his four-over spell, dismissing two of the opponent’s best batters – Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran – with the new ball in the powerplay.
That’s what Sri Lanka must do by bringing in Dunith Wellalage, who has yet to play a game in the Asia Cup 2025. He is also a left-arm finger spinner, a bowling type against whom Afghanistan average a mere 16 and strike at 102.02 in 2025.
They have an RHB-heavy batting unit, with Sediqullah Atal the lone southpaw in the lineup, who has also lost his wicket twice and has a strike rate of a mere 130 against this bowling type this year. Since 2024, Wellalage averages 17.41 and concedes only 5.88 runs per over against RHBs in T20s, which should be enough to give him a go.
In the first game, Sri Lanka opted for an additional pacer in Matheesha Pathirana, and Maheesh Theekshana warmed the bench against Bangladesh. However, an expensive outing for Pathirana meant the team opted for a specialist spinner against Hong Kong in Dubai, with the pitch also playing a role.
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Now that they need a left-arm spinner, a variety absent in both fixtures, Sri Lanka can drop Kamindu Mendis or Maheesh Theekshana. Mendis batted at No.7 in the previous game and was slotted to bat at the same position in the game before, and he didn’t bowl in either encounter.
Charith Asalanka has filled in as an extra spinner by bowling four overs across two matches, suggesting the team doesn’t trust Kamindu’s bowling skills. So, he can be dropped for Wellalage, who is also a more than handy batter and provides more all-round value.
However, Sri Lanka can drop Theekshana, who was economical but didn’t fetch any wickets in the last game, if they want a cushion in batting against a quality Afghanistan bowling lineup. Asalanka has already been bowling his off-spin, and Kamindu can also provide a few overs if required, while the team will get more batting depth as well if both Wellalage and Kamindu play.
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