Asia T20 

Match 3: BAN vs AFG 

Preview 

Bangladesh are set to face Afghanistan in match number 3 of the ongoing edition of the Asia Cup T20 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. After securing a comfortable victory in their opening game, Mohammad Nabi led team would be keen to continue their winning run in this tournament. The Bangla Tigers on the other hand would be desperate to start their campaign on a winning note. 

Shakib Ali led side has been in terrible form off late. The big players in particular have failed to deliver the goods. Mahamudullah Riyad, Shakib Ali and Musfiquir Rahim have struggled with their form which is not a positive sign for Bangladesh. These three will have to fire in unison and take the batting onus for their team. Other than them, Bangladesh don’t have many options in the batting department. Mehidy Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman will hold the key for them in the bowling prowess. 

Afghanistan started their Asia T20 in supreme fashion to get their campaign up and running.  They battered Sri Lanka in their opening tie to top the group B standings. Afghani bowlers played a pivotal role in their team’s emphatic victory in the last game. Pace sensation Fazal Haq Farooqi was the pick of the Afghanistan bowlers. He ended the game with impressive match figures of 3/11. Farooqi enjoyed good support from Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi at the other end who took 2 scalps apiece to trigger a batting collapse in Sri Lanka’s innings. Afghanistan in reply comfortably chased down the target of 106 inside 10 overs.  

Match Details

Match: BAN vs AFG, 3rd Match, Group B, Asia T20 2022

Date: Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Time: 7:30 PM

Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

Pitch and Conditions

The Dubai pitch off late has favoured the teams batting second. Dew is likely to play a crucial role in this game. The team winning the toss should elect to bowl first. 

Squads

BAN: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Anamul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed , Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Ebadot Hossain, Parvez Hossain Emon, Taskin Ahmed, Mohammad Naim 

AFG: Mohammad Nabi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shinwari, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Usman Ghani

Probable Playing XIs

BAN: Mohammad Naim, Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman

AFG: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Karim Janat, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Hot Fantasy Picks

(i) Batters 

Hazratullah Zazai: The Afghani opener scored an unbeaten 38 in the last game. He looked very comfortable during his whirlwind knock. His aggressive style of play and unparalleled ability to attack right from the onset makes him a hot pick 

Sabbir Rahman: He possesses the exceptional gift of timing. Rahman has been away from cricket for quite some time now. He is set to make a return after a gap of three years and will thus be keen to make an instant impact.

(ii) All Rounders 

Shakib Al Hasan:  He is one of the finest all rounders in the world of cricket. Shakib has been an essential part of Bangladesh's lineup. Over the years, he has consistently delivered for his nation with both bat and ball. 

Mohammad Nabi: He has emerged as a genuinely potent all rounder. Known for his power hitting down the order, Nabi also has a knack of picking wickets at regular intervals. In the last game against Sri Lanka, the Afghani skipper took two major scalps with the ball. 

(iii) Bowlers

Fazal Haq Farooqi: We witnessed a masterclass in swing bowling by the left arm seamer in Afghanistan’s opening game. The 21 year old ripped through Sri Lanka’s batting in the last game. We back the Afghani speedster to do more of the same in this crucial tie against a fragile and relatively inexperienced Bangladesh unit. 

Mustafizur Rahman: Over the years, Rahman has earned the reputation as a T20 specialist. Off late he has struggled with his line and length a bit but that doesn't change the fact that he is one of the best out there. 

(iv) Wicket Keeper

Rahmanullah Gurbaz: In his 28 match career, Gurbaz has come out as a force to reckon with. The wicket keeper batter scored a blistering 40 in the tournament opener to help his side chase down the total in quick time 

Risky Captaincy Choice

Mahmudullah is our pick for this segment. The veteran is going through a lean patch at the moment and having him as the captain of your fantasy team can be risky. 

Suggested Playing XI Real11 Fantasy Cricket