Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York is gearing up to host its first-ever international match as Sri Lanka face South Africa in Match 4 of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Monday.
Aiden Markram-led South Africa will aim to rebound strongly from their series loss to West Indies. Meanwhile, The Lions will be eager to kick off their campaign with a bang to set the tone for the entire tournament.
Sri Lanka boast one of the strongest bowling attacks. Additionally, following their recent victories over Afghanistan and Bangladesh in their respective three-match T20I series, they are undoubtedly brimming with confidence and eager for further success.
However, their winning streak was disrupted by the Netherlands, who defeated them by 20 runs in a warm-up game.
Skipper Wanindu Hasaranga and his team will aim to utilise their diverse bowling skills effectively, as this enables Sri Lanka to adapt well to varying pitch conditions and opponents, providing a strategic advantage. In contrast, their batting line-up isn't as reliable, lacking big hitters, particularly compared to their rivals.
This could potentially impede the team's ability to set or chase large targets. In simpler terms, the batters will need to support the bowlers' efforts, and vice versa.
On the other hand, South Africa were recently left reeling after losing a three-match T20I series against the West Indies just before the World Cup.
Although several key players were absent due to prior commitments, they will aim to bounce back and start their campaign on a positive note.
Regarding their encounters with Sri Lanka, the Proteas have truly dominated in the T20 arena, winning seven of their last ten matches.
They will look to leverage their strength—namely, their batting prowess—against a team with a relatively weaker lower middle order, thereby increasing the pressure on them in the later stages of the game.
SL vs SA match timings
Local time: 10:30am
GMT: 2:30pm (June 3)
PST: 7:30pm (June 3)
Squads
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs
Sri Lanka: Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka.
Travelling Reserves: Asitha Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage.
Prediction
South Africa are favourites to win against Sri Lanka based on their resources across all departments
