*AFGHANISTAN VS BANGLADESH 1st T20 IN A 2 MATCH T20 SERIES 2023 PREVIEW*
*THE BUILD UP:*
It was all smiles in the Afghanistan camp post the ODI series where they believed and delivered. Winning a ODI series is some feat and Afghanistan were at their clinical best from ball 1. They would hope to take this momentum into the T20I series where the Bangladeshis have dominated over the years. What the home team would be worried about is the lack of fight they showed in the recently concluded series, an aspect where they would eye a turnaround and the win which they gained in the last ODI could also come as a rescue as the hosts will be looking to avenge their series loss. The like of Shakib will be kept a close eye on given how he has maintained his reputation and come clutch in the key moments. Shakib’s batting however was under the pump and he’d be looking forward to playing the role of an anchor and play long in the coming series.
The Afghanis on the other hand have a breathtaking golden opportunity to complete double and make a name for themselves. Their bowling was always going to be crucial and they have been perfect with the combination that they have played with, with all their key picks chipping in. The batting led by Gurbaz who is the premier batter, will look to get back to its best and make a case for themselves. With this, let us have a look at the Probable XIs.
*BAN PROBABLE XI:*
Rony Talukdar, Litton Das (WK), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (C), Towhid Hridoy, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman.
The pitch at Slylet is going to be a sporting one where the spinners will be able to purchase a decent amount of turn. That makes the role of Mehidy and Shakib extremely crucial as they know these conditions supremely well and have been the backbone of this team for quite some time. How the Afghanis play out their overs could well decide the fate of this game.
This will be a challenging test for Shakib the skipper who has blown hot and cold as the leader of Bangladesh so far. With Afghanistan high flying, it would be interesting to see what strategies he comes up with in order to contain the Afghanis and help his team dominate. I see him leading from the front with the ball and won’t be surprised if he opens the bowling as well.
Mustafizur Rehman has always been a vital cog in this Bangladesh setup and with the expected to be slow, the left armer could be a lethal pick with his cutters and slower ones , asking questions and being the underdog.
*AFGH PROBABLE XI:*
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (C), Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad
Farooqi always reminds me of the talent that Mustafiz possesses. They are similar with how they bowl and their variation deliveries are also difficult to read. If Mustafiz gets help from the surface, expect something similar from Farooqi as well who has been in some form, directly challenging the Bangladeshis with his accurate bowling.
This T20I series marks the return of Zazai as opener who wasn’t a fix in the ODI series which recently concluded. His attacking gameplay will be a refreshing aspect of what he brings to the table. However, the Afgh setup would hope that he sticks to being proactive and Aggresive instead of getting that reckless style of play in contention. His partner, Gurbaz has been piling on the runs across formats and has been in the limelight for long. The right handed opener has been able to adjust to the difficulties that these two very contrasting formats possess and I expect nothing but brilliance from him even this series given the pitches provided are not absolute graveyard like for bowlers.
*MY PREDICTIONS:*
*FOR BAN:*
Highest run getter- Shakib Al Hasan
Highest wicket taker- Mehidy Hasan/Mustafiz Rahman
*FOR AFGH:*
Highest run getter- Gurbaz/Ibrahim Zadran
Highest wicket taker- Rashid Khan/Fazalhaq Farooqi
*FOR THIS GAME:*
Afghanistan to win