The power of South Africa against the variety of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka vs South Africa
Providence, 10.30am local

It is possible that both Sri Lanka and South Africa kind of suck. Since the start of 2023, South Africa have lost nine of the 11 completed T20Is they have played. Most recently, they were thrashed 3-0 by West Indies. None of those results were close.

Sri Lanka, who won the T20 World Cup ten years ago, and for several years before that were arguably the best T20 outfit on the planet, have never really got close to making the semi-final of a limited-overs global trophy since then. They have won their last three T20I series in a row. However, those were against a Bangladesh team missing some key players, Afghanistan minus Rashid Khan, and Zimbabwe, who have not even qualified for this tournament.

Fair to say neither Sri Lanka nor South Africa come in with a lot of expectation.

But there are some exploits in franchise cricket to consider - Heinrich Klaasen clobbered 479 runs at a strike rate of 171 at the IPL, and Matheesha Pathirana took 13 wickets at an economy rate of 7.68 in the same competition. But have entire batting orders and bowling attacks vibed together for their national teams?

Sri Lanka come in with some confidence about their bowling. In Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka and Dushmantha Chameera, they have three quicks capable of breaching 145kph, plus Nuwan Thushara, whose most recent T20I outing brought him figures of 5 for 20.

On top of this, Sri Lanka have spinners Maheesh Theekshana and captain Wanindu Hasaranga (who had recently rekindled his love for the Test format, only to be suspended for those games, dammit!).

Where Sri Lanka may lack, though, is on the big-hitting front, and here South Africa will feel they have them covered, their top order having blasted their way through last year's ODI World Cup. Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram and Klaasen, in particular, will back themselves to take Sri Lanka's bowlers down.

But Sri Lanka have serious variety in their attack. And that used to be the hallmark of that great Sri Lanka T20I side of 2014.

Sri Lanka WLWLW (Last five completed matches; most recent first)
South AfricaLLLLW

Wanindu Hasaranga is not just a bowler who fields brilliantly and bats a bit anymore. At least that is what he is trying to convince you of. Once a heavily off-side batter, Hasaranga has strengthened his leg-side game, and become what he and Sri Lanka hope is more of a genuine allrounder - that rare player that makes the team based on either batting or bowling alone. Because of injuries that kept him out of the entire ODI World Cup last year, as well as out of the IPL, he hasn't had the chance to dust these skills off. But this is not the same player that rocked up to the T20 World Cup in 2022.

By now, Kagiso Rabada is used to all kinds of pressure that most players in the world are unfamiliar with. This time, he is the only Black African player in the South Africa squad, which is kind of a big deal but one he will almost certainly take in his stride, you suspect. But the guy has also got to rediscover some bowling magic. In his last five outings for Punjab Kings this year, he took two wickets. All up, he had a middling IPL, and left the competition early with injury.

Weather looks great, with highs of mid-20s°C and no predictions for any rain interference. If the warm-up match between India and Bangladesh is anything to go by, the conditions underfoot will not be insignificant. On the drop-in pitch, the ball seamed around and stopped for the spinners. Of more interest was the slowish outfield on which the ball tended to plug. It also didn't look like turf that fielders will be keen to dive on.

Pathirana had a hamstring complaint, but had bowled three overs in the practice match against Ireland. He should be available against South Africa.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamindu Mendis, 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga (capt), 8 Dasun Shanaka, 9 Maheesh Theekshana/Dilshan Madushanka, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Matheesha Pathirana

Rabada left the IPL early with a soft tissue infection in a lower limb. But with luck, he is available for South Africa's World Cup opener.

South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 David Miller, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Bjorn Fortuin, 10 Kagiso Rabada/Anrich Nortje, 11Ottneil Baartman