A sleeper, smash hit by defying every script

Afghanistan make their big-screen debut on Saturday's morning show, a sleeper that suddenly became a smash hit by defying every script written for them. A team from a war-torn, dysfunctional country, with half their players born in refugee camps, they narrowly missed qualifying for the 2007 World Cup but are making up for it with this tournament. They have surprised many an Associate team during their stunning rise from Division Five to a world event. Yet they will know that what they are going to face - the pace of Zaheer Khan, the spin of Harbhajan Singh, the might of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh - is nothing like anything they have faced so far.
India will know Afghanistan are not quite Bangladesh, but it was a first-match loss to perceived minnows three years ago that knocked them out of the 50-over World Cup. They have not played a warm-up match this time, know little about their opponents and will want to be as alert as against their other group-mates, South Africa. On the other hand, they would like this slow transition from the IPL to top-level international cricket. A win against Afghanistan, no matter what the margin, will more or less assure them a place in the next round. How the tournament would love an upset, though.
The only dampener is the timing of the match. Almost all India games in this tournament have 9.30am starts - 7pm in India - as opposed to the usual evening timings for matches played in the West Indies. Clearly the TV audience gets a preference to the islands hosting the event, only three years after a disastrously organised World Cup. Who will 'Bring It On' at 9.30am?

Please explain to me the emboldened parts.

Source : http://www.cricinfo.com/world-twenty20-2010/content/current/story/457923.html

I have no idea about "sleeper" but I guess they mean "they came out roaring when every body trying to corner them saying they are worth nothing being from war-torn countries" by " smash hit by defying every script"