Match particulars
Afghanistan vs Papua New GuineaTarouba, 8.30pm native
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Afghanistan have had a dream begin to their T20 World Cup 2024 marketing campaign. Having brushed previous Uganda within the opening fixture, they dealt a killer blow to New Zealand and are comfortably positioned to make the Tremendous Eight.
Within the earlier version in 2022, Afghanistan have been a part of Tremendous 12 however could not register a single win, shedding three video games and the opposite two being washed out.
A lot of their success to this point this 12 months has been right down to their openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. They added 154 towards Uganda and 103 towards New Zealand, with Gurbaz hitting fifties in each video games. The flip aspect is that the center order has not had sufficient time within the center. It may damage them because it nearly did once they misplaced 6 for 55 after their opening stand towards New Zealand.
It may properly be their achilles heel towards nearly-men PNG. They’re but to win a match however defending 136 of their opening recreation, they’d West Indies in a spot of trouble. Of their subsequent outing, they made Uganda work laborious for a goal of 78.
The sluggish situations in Tarouba may degree the enjoying discipline, regardless that Afghanistan have the talents suited to these. PNG’s plethora of medium-pacers and spinners would wish to go away a mark on the Brian Lara Stadium. And the group may have an entire bunch of New Zealand followers cheering for them, as their hopes of constructing the Tremendous Eight hinge on, amongst different issues, PNG beating Afghanistan.
Type information
Afghanistan WWWWL (final 5 T20Is, most up-to-date first)
PNG LLLWW
Within the highlight
Can Norman Vanua assist PNG to their first win of the event?•ICC/Getty Photographs
Crew information
Afghanistan (possible XI): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Azmatullah Omarzai, 4 Gulbadin Naib, 5 Najibullah Zadran, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Karim Janat, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Noor Ahmad/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Anticipate PNG to discipline an unchanged group.
PNG (possible XI): 1 Assad Vala (capt), 2 Tony Ura, 3 Sese Bau, 4 Lega Siaka, 5 Hiri Hiri, 6 Charles Amini, 7 Kiplin Doriga (wk), 8 Chad Soper, 9 Norman Vanua, 10 Alei Nao, 11 John Kariko
Stats and trivia
No opening pair has added extra runs than Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz in T20Is in 2024.
Amongst those that have bowled at the very least 50 overs in T20Is since January 2023, Rashid Khan and John Kariko are the second- and the fifth-most economical bowlers.
Pitch and situations
The floor in Tarouba performed true to its sluggish nature through the recreation between West Indies and New Zealand. Due to rain within the lead-up to the match, some deliveries from the good-length space exterior off stump saved alarmingly low, and it was not simple to hit by means of the road. There is no rain on the forecast – although which may change – however captain successful the toss is prone to bowl first due to the dew round.
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7
