Sri Lanka kick off the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 against Namibia on Sunday, October 16, 2022, at the Geelong Cricket Stadium in Victoria. The match starts at 9:30 AM IST (Indian Standard Time).
The Sri Lankan cricket team recently beat Pakistan by 23 runs to clinch their sixth Asia Cup title. Despite their recent success in this format, the Lankans failed to make an automatic qualification into the super 10 stage of the T20 World Cup. The hosts are in Group A with Namibia, Netherlands, and UAE and are very much likely to qualify for the next round.
Dasun Shanaka will be seen leading the Lankan side again and will also be one of the all-rounders in the squad along with Wanindu Hasaranga and Dhananjaya de Silva. The batting lineup will have the likes of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Kusal Mendis, and Pathum Nissanka. In the pace department, Chameera Karunaratne will be seen sharing the attack with Dushmantha Chameera.
Meanwhile, Namibia beat Zimbabwe 3-2 in their last T20I series. Craig Williams was the top run-scorer for the visitors with 139 runs in five games while Bernard Scholtz picked seven wickets.
Namibia did well in the last edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE as they reached the Super 10 stage of the tournament. For the Namibian cricket team, David Wiese will be their most important player considering the amount of experience he brings to the side.
Namibia vs Sri Lanka ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022
Parimatch odds: Namibia: 7:20, Sri Lanka: 1:09
Betwinner odds: Namibia: 7.90, Sri Lanka: 1.08
Melbet odds: Namibia: 7.90, Sri Lanka: 1.08
1xBet odds: Namibia: 8.00, Sri Lanka: 1:09
Note: Odds are subject to change. Please visit betting sites to check and confirm the latest odds.
Namibia vs Sri Lanka head-to-head in T20Is
Sri Lanka beat Namibia by seven wickets in their only game against each other in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021.
Namibia have won three of their last five T20 matches while Sri Lanka have won all their last five games.
Namibia vs Sri Lanka ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 squads
Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan.
Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (captain), JJ Smit, Divan la Cock, Stephen Baard, Nicol Loftie Eaton, Jan Frylinck, David Wiese, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green (wicketkeeper), Bernard Scholtz, Tangeni Lungameni, Michael van Lingen, Ben Shikongo, Karl Birkenstock, Lohan Louwrens (wicketkeeper), Helao Ya France.
Namibia vs Sri Lanka probable playing XI
Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), Charith Asalanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Dasun Shanaka (captain) Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chameera Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Dusmantha Chameera.
Namibia: Michael van Lingen, Nicol Loftie Eaton, Jan Frylinck, Lohan Louwrens, Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Zane Green (wicketkeeper), David Wiese, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Helao Ya France.
Namibia vs Sri Lanka in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 combined fantasy XI
Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), Charith Asalanka, Pathum Nissanka, Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Dasun Shanaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, David Wiese, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz, Dusmantha Chameera.
Sri Lanka’s top picks vs Namibia in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022
Bhanuka Rajapaksa: The hard-hitting middle order batter scored a match-winning 45-ball 71-run unbeaten knock against Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cup finals. Rajapaksa’s ability to counter-attack makes him the most dangerous batter in the Lankan setup. The 30-year-old has scored 541 runs in T20Is at an average of 28.47 and a strike rate of 139.43.
Wanindu Hasaranga: Having picked 71 wickets in 44 games in this format, the leg spinner is Sri Lanka’s biggest match-winner with the ball going into the T20 World Cup. The 25-year-old scored 36 runs and picked three wickets to help his side beat Pakistan in the finals of the recently concluded Asia Cup. Hasaranga’s ability to hit sixes at the end of the innings makes him a highly dangerous player in T20 cricket.
Namibia’s top picks vs Sri Lanka in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022
David Wiese: The all-rounder provides depth to the Namibian batting and is known for scoring quick runs toward the end of overs. Wiese has scored 387 runs in this format and has a strike rate of 121.69. The 37-year-old has also picked 38 wickets at an economy of 7.52.
Gerhard Erasmus: The Namibian captain has scored 269 runs in his last 10 T20Is at an average of 38.43. Erasmus has a strike rate of 125.70 and recently scored an unbeaten 34 against Ireland in the warm-up game. Overall, Erasmus has scored 927 runs for the national side in this format and has a top score of 100*.
Namibia vs Sri Lanka in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 prediction
Sri Lanka are a much stronger side and are expected to beat Namibia comfortably in the first game of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The Lankans have been phenomenal in T20I cricket and are the favourites to qualify for the next round of the competition.
On the other hand, Namibia lack the firepower to beat Sri Lanka. They are likely to struggle against Sri Lanka’s strong spin attack.
Namibia vs Sri Lanka playing conditions for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022
Maximum Temperature: 34°C
Precipitation: 3%
Humidity: 70%
Wind: 6 km/h
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