South Africa vs Sri Lanka Prediction: Sri Lanka playing their first T20 in over 6 months

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians are going head to head in the Match 8 of the Indian Premier League at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad, Rangareddy, India on 27th March 2024. Mumbai has a good record against Sunrisers in the recent games. Who will win this game of cricket?

South Africa Women must prepare themselves for the challenge posed by Sri Lankan bowlers. In a match last year, they struggled to chase a target of 130 runs as Inoka Ranaweera of Sri Lanka quickly dismissed their top order. As of now, the Sri Lankan squad for the upcoming series has not been announced, but it is expected that they will include their top-performing bowlers, presenting a tough challenge for the home team.

In their previous T20I victory against Australia, Laura Wolvaardt played a crucial role in chasing a target of 143 runs at the Manuka Oval. Despite this win being the only one in the 3-match series, Tamzin Brits and Marizanne Kapp also scored half-centuries. South Africa struggled with collective batting efforts, relying on only a few batters to perform at a time.

Sune Luus, a key player in the middle-order, is expected to deliver in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The team also has batting all-rounders like Nadine de Klerk and Anneke Bosch to strengthen their lineup. Wolvaardt and Brits will need to handle the threat posed by left-arm pacer Udeshika Prabodhani in the powerplay and avoid exposing their middle-order early in the innings.

In terms of bowling, Masabata Klaas and Nonkululeko Mlaba will be crucial for South Africa, along with all-rounders Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk.

Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka

The Sri Lanka Women's team is gearing up for another tour, with confidence high following their recent successes in the Asian Games and their tour of England. Despite not having played a T20 international in almost 6 months, the team is expected to deliver a strong performance, especially in bowling. Key bowlers like Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera, and Oshadi Ranasinghe, who were instrumental in their previous victories, are set to play a crucial role on this tour.

Additionally, left-arm medium pacer Prabodhani has emerged as a reliable bowler for Sri Lanka, impressing against top teams like India and England. Captain Chamari Atthapaththu, who is a valuable all-rounder, is also a key figure in their bowling attack, capable of taking crucial wickets and controlling the run rate.

Sri Lanka's bowling strength will be their main asset on this tour, with Atthapathuthu proving to be a match-winner for the team. While their batting performances may have been affected by poor pitches in the past, players like Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, and Hasini Perera are key in the middle order. The team will rely heavily on their opening duo and captain Atthapaththu to lead the way in the batting department.

Chamari Athapaththu (c), Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Hasini Perera, Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Kumari, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadharshani

The advantage lies with South Africa Women in the upcoming match. Despite the influence of the toss, the hosts have a more powerful batting lineup and can still achieve a competitive score if they bat first. On the other hand, Sri Lanka Women lack strong middle-order batsmen and reliable finishers. Due to these factors, South Africa Women are favored to win the match.