Skip to main content

Afghanistan's Predicted XI vs Sri Lanka: Afghans To Stick With 3 Spinners?

Giant-killers Afghanistan go up against Sri Lanka in match no. 30 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Monday, October 30, from 2:00 PM IST at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. With wins against the Netherlands and England, Sri Lanka are currently fifth on the World Cup 2023 points table with four points and a net run rate of -0.205. The island nation lost their first three games - vs South Africa, Pakistan and Australia - but bounced back to win two in a row.

The Afghanistan team, meanwhile, had two unexpected victories against England in Delhi and Pakistan in Chennai, respectively, from their five matches in the tournament. Their net run rate, however, took a big hit in defeats against India and New Zealand, which sees them placed seventh in the points table.

In their latest match, Afghanistan spinners, headlined by Noor Ahmad, restricted Pakistan to 282/7 on a good batting surface at Chennai. Half-centuries from Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah along with an unbeaten 48 from captain Hashmatullah Shahidi helped them make light work of the run chase to win by eight wickets.

Considering the conditions on offer at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, Afghanistan might be tempted to field the same playing XI against Sri Lanka in a must-win encounter for the two Asian sides.

Openers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran

Afghan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are their team's top run-getters in this tournament with 224 and 173 runs, respectively, in five matches.

Gurbaz smashed half-centuries in both of their wins in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He averages 44.80 while striking at over a run a ball so far.

Zadran, meanwhile, slammed a match-winning 113-ball 87 against Pakistan in the side's latest win. The opening duo will be key on a track where run-scoring is at its best with the new ball.

Middle order: Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ikram Alikhil

Rahmat Shah has piled on 150 runs at an average of 37.50, providing a calm and steady influence at no. 3. Skipper Shahidi, too, has been rock-solid with the bat, scoring 168 runs at an average of 42.00. The duo have amassed fifty, each, in this World Cup.

Wicketkeeper-batter Ikram Alikhil, on the other hand, has only batted twice in this tournament, scoring 58 in the win against England and staying unbeaten on 19 against New Zealand.

The middle order will be vital in laying the platform and keeping up the tempo ahead of the finishing stages of the innings.

All-rounders: Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan

Seam bowling all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has been very successful at the World Cup 2023. The 23-year-old has scalped four wickets, a dismissal once every five overs, and scored 130 runs at an average of 32.50. He will be sharing the new ball with Naveen-ul-Haq in the powerplay and entrusted with the responsibility of finishing the innings off with the bat.

Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan are the two mainstays for Afghanistan. While Nabi has registered 41 runs and three wickets so far, Rashid has notched 56 runs and picked up six wickets in the tournament. The duo will be key in the middle and death overs in both innings.

Bowlers: Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad

Mujeeb Ur Rahman has picked up four wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and is only three wickets away from 100 ODI scalps. He bowled a decisive spell of 3/51 at Delhi, guiding Afghanistan to a victory against reigning champions England.

Noor Ahmad was the match-winner against Pakistan, taking three wickets at an average of 16.33. Spinners will rejoice bowling in Pune, courtesy of the pitch and boundary dimensions.

Naveen-ul-Haq, meanwhile, is the ace pacer in this Afghanistan team. While he went wicketless against India, the 24-year-old scalped two, each, against Pakistan and New Zealand and took one wicket, each, versus England and Bangladesh. The Afghan team will rely on his skills with the new ball to break the Sri Lankan top order in the first powerplay. 

Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)

Ibrahim Zadran

Rahmat Shah

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c)

Ikram Alikhil

Azmatullah Omarzai

Mohammad Nabi

Rashid Khan

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Naveen-ul-Haq

Noor Ahmad



from NDTV Sports-Cricket
https://ift.tt/WFlCcqx
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Please do not enter any spam link in the comment box.

Popular posts from this blog

विद्यालय परिसर में झूल रहे विद्युत तार, विद्यार्थियों को खतरा

सरणू चिमनजी. सरणू चिमनजी ग्राम पंचायत मुख्यालय पर स्थित राउमावि के भवन, खेल मैदान तथा शौचालय के ऊपर से गुजर रही 11 केवी विद्युत लाइन ढीली होने के कारण भवन तथा शौचालय पर लगी पानी की टंकी से टकरा रही है, ऐसे में हादसे की आशंका सता रही है। विद्यालय के वरिष्ठ अध्यापक हनुमानराम सऊ ने बताया कि कई बार लिखित में तथा यहां आयोजित कलक्टर की रात्रि चौपाल में भी इस मामले को डिस्कॉम अधिकारियों को अवगत करवाया। कलक्टर ने अधिकारियों को लाइन को विद्यालय परिसर से बाहर लगाने को कहा, लेकिन 1साल बीत जाने के बाद भी विद्युत विभाग ने सुध नहीं ली। हर बार आश्वासन ही मिला कि करवा दिया जाएगा।वर्तमान स्थिति यह है कि तार विद्यालय परिसर के ऊपर शौचालय पर लगी टंकी कोपर्श कर रहे हैं, इस वजह से बच्चों को आसपास जाने नहीं दिया जाता। कार्यवाहक प्रधानाचार्य पूनमचंद चौधरी ने बताया कि विद्यालय के मुख्य परिसर से गुजरने वाली 11 केवी बिजली लाइन लूज होने से हर समय खतरा बना रहता है। फिलहाल विद्यार्थियों की नियमित कक्षाएं संचालित हो रही है जिससे हर समय खतरा बना रहता है। हमने पहले भी लिखित जानकारी देकर अवगत कराया लेकिन आज तक इस ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sanju Samson's Act Minutes After T20 World Cup Selection Wins Hearts

April 8, 2008. Sanju Samson, then a skinny 14-year-old, curled on the bed in his hotel room, watched Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullum hammering a 73-ball 158 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first-ever IPL match. That drizzly evening in Kottayam, a town in central Kerala, changed his heart. Forever. Sanju reshuffled his career dream, from wanting to become a civil servant to entering the elite world of a top-flight cricketer. "Sanju always recollects that day, which gave him the dream of reaching that league of top players one day," said former Kerala player Raiphi Vincent Gomez, also a close friend of the wicketkeeper batter. But merely having a dream will not take anyone to the top of their profession, more so in sports. Sanju then had oodles of determination too to walk down his chosen path. Biju George, the former India women's cricket team's fielding coach and the early mentor of the Kerala player, saw that brightly flickering flame inside...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Finals Are Funny Games": Molineux On Match-Winning Spell In WPL Final

Following her side's maiden Women's Premier League (WPL) title win, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bowling all-rounder Sophie Molineux remarked that the title clashes are always "funny games" and the team knew that the match was going down the wire. An all-round Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) led by yet another solid knock by Ellyse Perry and brilliant bowling spells from spinners Shreyanka Patil and Sophie Molineux captured their first-ever Women's Premier League (WPL) title after defeating Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in the title clash at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. Molineux received the 'Player of the Match' award for her bowling effort that put DC on the backfoot after a fiery start. "It was a great match. Finals are always funny games, we knew it was going down to the wire. DC are a great team, they fought all the way. Pretty happy we got over the line. I felt like I was bowing really slow tonight. In tournaments, you have to keep...
Post a Comment
Read more