Asia Cup 2022, Match 3: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, match preview, pitch report and probable XI: Sharjah Cricket Stadium will host the third group stage match of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 between Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Afghanistan have already kicked off their campaign by defeating Sri Lanka in their opening match and will go into the match against Bangladesh as favourites.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh will go into their opening game under the new leadership of Shakib Al Hasan, with many key players missing from the squad due to unfortunate injuries. The 2018 runners-up had a tough time in the shortest format, suffering back-to-back defeats against the West Indies and Zimbabwe, heading into the tournament.
A win for Afghanistan would see them progress to the Super 4 stage, while Bangladesh, with a win, would take a big step towards securing their birth in the next stage of this year’s competition.
Pitch report
Sharjah’s pitch has traditionally been suited to batsmen with teams batting first to have an edge in the match. Slower bowlers usually play a major role in the venue with the pitch providing some grip and turn in the latter stages of the match. The team winning the toss will likely bat first to set up a daunting score for the opposition.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan team outclassed Sri Lanka in all categories in the first match. The bowlers were impeccable. Set the platform for a comfortable chase in the second innings. The fact that Rashid Khan was not responsible for a single Sri Lankan dismissal is testament to their incredibly efficient bowling unit. It will be interesting to see how the Afghan batsmen approach the innings while setting the total.
Probable XI: Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (captain), Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, Fazlhaq Farooqui.
Bangladesh
Unlike their opponents, Bangladesh have some headaches with their team selection as they rely heavily on the lower middle order to save them from sticky situations. The top order will need to fire on all cylinders if Bangladesh are to put the gloves on a well-equipped Afghani bowling unit.
Probable XI: Mohammad Naeem, Sabbir Rahman, Anamul Haque (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehdi Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan head-to-head
overall
- Match – 9 | Afghanistan – 5 Bangladesh – 3 Inconclusive – 1
Asia Cup
- Match – 3 | Afghanistan – 2 | Bangladesh – 1
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan broadcast details
- Match Timing – 8.00 PM Bangladesh Time
- TV – Star Sports Network
- Live Streaming – Disney+ Hotstar