Afghanistan chose to bowl first after winning the toss against South Africa in an important Group D match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Wednesday.
The match carries high stakes for both sides. South Africa began the tournament with a win over Canada, while Afghanistan suffered a defeat to New Zealand in its opening game.
A loss on Wednesday could seriously hurt Afghanistan’s hopes of reaching the Super Eights stage, as only the top two teams from each group move forward.
New Zealand currently tops Group D with two wins from two matches.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said the pitch at the venue which he knows well from playing in the Indian Premier League — favors bowling first. He added that his team prefers chasing a target.
Afghanistan had surprised many teams by reaching the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup before losing to South Africa in that tournament held across the Caribbean and the United States.
South Africa made one change to its lineup for the match. Left-arm spinner George Linde replaced fast-bowling allrounder Corbin Bosch.
Meanwhile, attention is also building around the Group A match between India and Pakistan. Pakistan, which had earlier considered boycotting the fixture, confirmed it will play against India on Sunday, reviving one of cricket’s biggest rivalries at the group stage.
