If it was about who deserves to make it to the final four this edition, none would have denied Afghanistan an entry. But cricket is a cruel game. It’s not always the deserving who gets the pass. And so, Afghanistan’s job is not done just yet. They have one final stepping stone to hop over before they can rest in the first-class train to the semi-final. Beating Bangladesh is not the only job, though. They will have to tread carefully lest they unleash the wrath of the wretched devil which shows no mercy while throwing teams out of contention: the NRR. Assuming India is the other team qualifying for the final four, Afghanistan will have their self-righteous rivals Australia fighting for the same berth. But all the maths will be done and all equations will be for them as early as at least six hours before Rashid Khan walks to the ground for the toss.
Although Bangladesh had the chance to end this campaign in a better position, having qualified to the Super eights ahead of Sri Lanka, they would be happy with the way they showed up with their maimed batting order. They are well and truly eliminated from the tournament, no matter how ginormous victory they get, it can’t get them aboard the semi-final-bound plane. But they still can ruin the fest for Afghanistan, ending their own campaign on a rather good note.
Team Overview:
Afghanistan did the unthinkable in their last outing. Something they might have done in Mumbai had Glenn Maxwell not taken them to the cleaners. But Noor Ahmed’s worldie catch made sure that his team did not get to experience a deja vu. Both the Afghan openers could not have found a better time to grab their forms back than this. Gulbadin Naib bowled with a golden arm against Australia, drawing blood whenever he was relied on by Rashid Khan. Everything seems aligned for them. Just a little steer can land them among the top fours.
Bangladesh’s batting has failed them even on the pitches that were very clearly biased towards batters. Their previous two games were scheduled on the second most batting-friendly wicket this tournament but they ended up bottling those chances by scoring at a below-par rate. Both Australia and India conveniently used the Bengal Tigers as a wrung to get higher.
Head-to-head Matches:
Afghanistan has faced Bangladesh 11 times in T20Is and has dominated them on 6 occasions while Bangladesh romped home in 5 matches. Their most recent contest took place in July last year when then-hosts, Bangladesh bested the game.
Weather and Pitch Report:
There are good chances of rain disturbing the game and the delays could be long as well. The pitch in Kingstown favors bowlers generally. Spinners get more from the pitch than pacers, exploiting the turn and bounce the deck offers. Early swing will be on cards but will diminish as the game progresses. Batters will need to make the most of powerplay before the ball gets old and spinners come into the play. Toss winning captain should bat first as whatever assistance the pitch offers to the batters runs out during the early stages.
Prediction:
Afghanistan have every weapon in their arsenal to get over the line in Arnos Vale on Tuesday. From explosive batting to lethal spin bowling. Moreover, they will be pumped with Adrenaline to make it to the next stage. This makes them more likely to triumph over Bangladesh.
Where to Watch:
- India – Star Sports
- Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming) and Tamasha app (Live streaming)
- USA and Canada – Willow TV
- England – Sky Sports Network
- Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
- New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
- Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY