Asia Cup 2022: IND vs AFG- Afghanistan Playing 11 vs India (Predicted), Super 4, Match 5 (A1 vs B2)

Asia Cup 2022: IND vs AFG- Afghanistan Playing 11 vs India (Predicted), Super 4, Match 5 (A1 vs B2). India will play against Afghanistan on 8th September 2022, 19:30 IST at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. India lost its first Super 4 match against Pakistan while Afghanistan lost to Sri Lanka in the first Super 4 match. India will play against Sri Lanka next on 6th September 2022 while Afghanistan will play against Pakistan on 7th September 2022.

Sri Lanka pulled off a major upset, beating Afghanistan by 4 wickets in the Super 4 opener. With that, Dasun Shanaka-led Sri Lanka also avenged their humiliating loss in the Asia Cup 2022 opener. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (84) helped Afghanistan post 175/5 but impactful innings from Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa helped them chase the target with 5 balls to spare.

Kusal Mendis smashed 19-ball 36 to set the tone of the match. After the 62-run opening stand, Sri Lanka never had a great partnership but there were small impactful performances throughout. Pathum Nissanka (35 off 28), Danushka Gunathilaka (33 off 20) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (31 off 14) besides Wanindu Hasaranga (16 off 9) all contributed well.

With the highest individual score of just 36, Sri Lanka still got over the line comfortably thanks to cameos right through. The final nail in the coffin was Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s 14-ball 31. With 49 needed off the last five overs, Bhanuka Rajapaksa went 4, 4, 6 against Naveen ul Haq and brought the equation down. He stayed put till just two were needed and all but ensured that Sri Lanka got over the line.

Asia Cup 2022: Brief Scores: Afghanistan: 175 for 6 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 84, Ibrahim Zadran 40; Dilshan Madushanka 2/37). lost to Sri Lanka: 179 for 6 in 19.1 overs (Kusal Mendis 36, Pathum Nissanka 35, Danushka Gunathilaka 33; Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2/30, Naveen-ul-Haq 2/40).

Afghanistan would depend a lot on opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz who is the 3rd highest run-getter in Asia Cup 2022 with 135 runs in 3 games averaging 45. He top-scored with 84 against Sri Lanka in Afghanistan’s 1st Super 4 game but it went in vain.

Najibullah Zadran, on the other hand, has the best strike rate of 213.79 in Asia Cup 2022 but would like to score more runs. He may be promoted atop the batting order. Skipper all-rounder Mohammad Nabi is out of form with the bat which is a concern for Afghanistan.

On the other hand, off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is the joint highest wicket-taker with 7 scalps averaging a mere 10. Rashid Khan, the world’s top-ranked leg spinner hasn’t picked many wickets-4 according to his liking and would like to add more to his tally against Pakistan and India. Afghanistan is likely to go unchanged against Pakistan and India.

Asia Cup 2022: IND vs AFG- Afghanistan Playing 11 vs India (Predicted), Super 4, Match 5 (A1 vs B2)

Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz will be the preferred opener for the Asia Cup 2022 due to the promising start to his career in the international arena. The young player may quickly eliminate the opposition’s momentum and can produce strong starts while batting as the top-order batter in the opening slot. He has scored 811 runs averaging 27.03 in 30 T20Is, having debuted in T20Is in 2019.

He scored 40 runs off only 18 balls (strike rate of 222.22) against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2022 opener hitting 3 sixes and 4 fours before being bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga. He scored 11 off 18 in the next game against Bangladesh falling prey to Shakib Al Hasan.

He top-scored with 84 off only 45 balls against Sri Lanka in the first Super 4 game but it went in vain. He is the 3rd highest run-getter in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 with 135 runs in 3 T20Is averaging 45.

Hazratullah Zazai

Hazratullah Zazai is anticipated to start the batting lineup for Asia Cup 2022 alongside Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The 24-year-old would frequently use the aerial route and may occasionally play a big game. Thus he might as well prove to be the team’s standout player. He has scored 940 runs in 31 T20Is averaging 33.57 which includes a ton.

He scored 162* against Ireland in 2019, the 2nd highest T20I score after Australian Aaron Finch (172). He scored an unbeaten 37 off 28 balls in the Asia Cup 2022 opener against Sri Lanka. He scored 23 of 26 balls against Bangladesh. He scored only 13 off 16 balls in the Super 4 game against Sri Lanka.

Ibrahim Zadran

Ibrahim Zadran made his ODI debut for Afghanistan, against the West Indies, on 11 November 2019. He made his T20I debut for Afghanistan, also against the West Indies, on 14 November 2019. He has scored 202 runs in 11 T20Is averaging 22.44.

He scored 15 off 13 balls in the Asia Cup 2022 opener against Sri Lankans before being run out by Maheesh Theekshana. He scored 42 off 41 and stayed unbeaten against Bangladesh and played a vital role in Afghanistan progressing through to Super 4 of Asia Cup 2022. He scored 40 off 38 balls which went in vain against Sri Lanka in Super 4.

Najibullah Zadran

Najibullah Zadran is among the most lethal T20 batters currently active, and he has a huge amount of expertise in the field. Najibullah Zadran can easily clear the ropes and will play a significant role in the fourth position. He also has a good strike rate of 143.69 in T20Is. He was in fine touch throughout the Ireland series and helped his team win a game with a 24-ball 50-run effort.

In 81 T20Is, he has amassed 1549 runs averaging 33.57. He scored 2 off as many balls in the Asia Cup 2022 opener against Sri Lanka and stayed unbeaten. He scored 43* off 17 balls against Bangladesh which resulted in Afghanistan chasing 128 successfully and qualifying for Super 4. He scored 17 off 10 balls against Sri Lanka in Super 4 before being unfortunately run out. His Strike Rate of 213.79 is the highest so far in Asia Cup 2022.

Karim Janat

Karim Janat made his T20I debut for Afghanistan against the United Arab Emirates on 14 December 2016. He scored 25 runs in the match and took 3 wickets. This all-around performance gave him his first man of the match award.

He made his ODI debut for Afghanistan against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on 24 February 2017. The 24-year-old has scored 345 runs in 39 T20Is averaging 17.25 and picked 31 scalps averaging 28.52. He didn’t bat or bowl in the Asia Cup 2022 opener against Sri Lanka and also against Bangladesh. The 24-year-old faced only 1 ball against Sri Lanka in Super 4. Afghanistan may persist with him or opt for Hashmatullah Shahidi or Afsar Zazai.

Mohammad Nabi

One of the finest all-rounders in the short-format game, Mohammad Nabi is highly potent with the bat and the ball. The 37-year-old is thrifty with the ball during the powerplay overs and has a batting strike rate of 140.41 in T20Is. In 98 T20Is, he has scored 1640 runs averaging 22.16 and has also picked 83 scalps averaging 27.2. He has also played 3 Tests and 133 ODIs.

He leads the Afghanistan team in the Asia Cup 2022. He picked 2 scalps conceding only 14 runs in 4 overs in the Asia Cup 2022 opener against Sri Lanka. He scored 8 and returned with figures of 0/23 in 3 overs against Bangladesh. He failed again against Sri Lanka in Super 4 scoring 1 run off 4 balls. He returned with figures of 1/34 in 4 overs.

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is now the strongest T20I spinner available, and he can win matches all by himself for his team. He has significantly improved as a batter and appears to be much more formidable as the game moves into its final overs. He has been a force to reckon with in the T20I format, having 116 wickets from 69 games and averaging a mere 13.96 at an exemplary economy of only 6.22. He also has already taken 4 4-wicket and 2 5-wicket hauls in T20Is.

He will lead the Afghan spin attack in the Asia Cup 2022. Although he didn’t pick a wicket, he conceded only 12 runs in 4 overs in the Asia Cup 2022 opener against Sri Lanka. Against Bangladesh, he was more successful picking 3/22 in 4 overs. Like off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, he also picked 3 scalps. He picked 1/39 in 4 overs against Sri Lanka in the Super 4 match.

Fazalhaq Farooqi

Another rising star who has been spotted by numerous franchises worldwide is Fazalhaq Farooqi, a 21-year-old who already has established a name for himself in T20 Internationals. His numbers in the 20-over format are also decent as he has managed to scalp 15 wickets in 12 games averaging a mere 18.27.

He debuted in Abu Dhabi against Zimbabwe on March 2021. He was MOM in the Asia Cup 2022 opener against Sri Lanka, claiming 3/11 in only 3.4 overs. He picked vital scalps of Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Chamika Karunaratne. He was wicketless against Bangladesh (0/25 in 4 overs). He again failed to pick up a wicket in the Super 4 match against Sri Lanka. In 3.1 overs, he conceded 34 runs.

Samiullah Shinwari

Afghanistan preferred Samiullah Shiwari against Sri Lanka in the Super 4 match over Azmatullah Omarzai who made his T20I debut on 3 March 2022, for Afghanistan against Bangladesh. The latter has picked 6 scalps in 12 T20Is and 4 scalps in 7 ODIs averaging above 35 in both the formats.

He failed to pick a wicket in the Asia Cup 2022 opener against Sri Lanka conceding 20 runs in the solitary over. He bowled only 1 over against Bangladesh too conceding 7 runs and picking no wicket. The likes of teenager Noor Ahmad or more experienced Farid Ahmad Malik can replace him in the Super 4 T20I against Sri Lanka.

However, the veteran of 84 ODIs and 64 T20Is, Samiullah Shiwari didn’t bat or bowl. The all-rounder has managed 1004 runs averaging 21.83 with the bat and has taken 27 scalps averaging 24.56 with the ball in hand.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman has not been as productive as he could have been at the beginning of his professional career, but he still manages to prevent the flow of runs. In terms of diversity, the mystery spinner offers a lot, and he will team up with the experienced Rashid Khan to form a strong spin partnership at the Asia Cup 2022.

He has picked 45 scalps in 31 T20Is averaging 15.67 at an economy of 6.18. He picked 2/24 in 4 overs in the Asia Cup 2022 opener against Sri Lanka. He was MOM against Bangladesh as he returned with figures of 3/16 in 4 overs.

He picked the scalps of the top three Bangladesh batters- Mohammad Naim, Anamul Haque, and skipper Shakib Al Hasan. He picked 2/30 in 4 overs in the Super 4 match against Sri Lanka.

Naveen Ul Haq

When fans talk about fast bowlers in the Afghanistan squad, Naveen-ul-Haq is regarded as the team’s future in that department, and he possesses all of the tricks up his sleeve to be successful.

The 22-year-old youngster has been effective in T20Is, taking 28 wickets in 21 T20I matches for an average of 19.46. He picked 1/23 in 3 overs in the Asia Cup 2022 opener against Sri Lanka but was wicketless (0/31) against Bangladesh. He picked 2 scalps against Sri Lanka in the Super 4 match, conceding 40 runs in 4 overs.