Asia Cup 2022: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan; Who has better chances to win

Bangladesh will face Afghanistan in the third match of the Asia Cup 2022. This group B match will be a decider for Afghanistan’s place in the super fours. On the other hand, Bangladesh cricket team will be trying their best to start their journey on a higher note. The match will be played at the Sharjah Cricket stadium which is a spin-friendly track.

Though Afghanistan is looking favourite on paper, one can not underestimate the bowling lineup of Bangladesh which includes big names such as Mustafizur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan. Afghanistan’s strength has been its all-rounding capabilities. The likes of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan make it easier for them to chase bigger targets, even if the top four players are gone.

Both teams have had bad experiences in their last T20 series. While Zimbabwe defeated Bangladesh by 2-1 in the T20I series, Afghanistan also failed to defeat Ireland in the five-match T20I series and lost the series by 3-2. However, Afghanistan has regained their confidence after its exceptional performance against Sri Lanka in the last T20 match.

Also read | Ban vs Afg, Asia Cup 2022, Match 3: Predicted 11, time, weather and pitch

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Head to head: International matches

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Head to head: Previous five matches of Bangladesh in T20I

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Head to head: Previous five matches of Afghanistan in T2OI

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Head to head: Key players to watch out for

Hazratullah Zazai (Afghanistan): The left-hand opening batsman Zazai has the highest score of 162* against Ireland in T20 Internationals. He showed some glimpses of those innings in the last by hammering 37 runs off 28 balls.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan): The right-handed batsman is renowned for decent batting skills. In the last match, he scored 40 runs off 18 deliveries that helped Afghanistan win the match against Sri Lanka.

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan): The spin-friendly pitch will be heaven for leg-spinner Rashid Khan. Apart from bowling, he has the ability to hit long sixes.

Mohammad Naim (Bangladesh): The left-hand batsman is on a dream run. In 34 T20I matches, he has scored 809 runs in 34 matches. Today’s match will decide his potential as the top-order batsman.

Shakib Al Hasan(Bangladesh): Shakib-Al-Hasan is a top-ranked all-rounder in limited-over cricket. He has scalped 121 wickets in 99 matches and scored more than 2000 runs in T20 international cricket.

Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh): The left-arm fast bowler was a sensation in the Indian Premier League 2016 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Till now, he has clinched 91 wickets in 61 matches of his T20I career.

How will teams qualify for the next stage?

The group stage will witness each team playing one match against the teams in their group. The top two teams of Group A and Group B will qualify for the super four round.

The Super four round will have two matches. The winner of these two matches will play against each other in the final. The final will be played in Dubai on September 11, Sunday.

(Written by Zuhair Zaidi)

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