The Super 8 phase of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will conclude with the all-important match of Bangladesh vs Afghanistan. The two dark horses of the tournament will face each other on the 25th of June at 6:30 AM BST at St. Vincent. Here you go with the match preview, as stated in UNB.
Match Details of Bangladesh vs Afghanistan
| Match | Date (BST) | Teams | Time (BST) | Venue |
| 52 | 25/6/2024 | Bangladesh vs Afghanistan | 6:30 AM | Arnos Vale Ground, Arnos Vale, St Vincent |
Preview of BAN vs AFG Match at Super 8 Stage
After the groups were set, the general idea was that India and Australia would qualify for the semi-finals. However, Afghanistan made this group interesting after their brilliant and historic performance against Australia. As a result, the semi-final spot became open for everyone now.
Equation
Afghanistan have earned their position to be in this place. They have a genuine chance to qualify for the semis. But they have to wait for things to go in their favor in the match of Australia vs India. If Australia doesn’t win then a win for them is more than enough for their first-ever semi-final appearance. Even if Australia wins that game, they can get there by winning by a margin which will see them ahead in the net run rate. Additionally, they still might have a chance to go through even if they lose. But for that, Australia needs to lose by a big margin and they lose by a small one to give them the advantage in the net run rate.
Everyone thought Bangladesh to be done and dusted after their abysmal performance against India. But Afghanistan have given them a chance. However, it’s the most difficult for them among the four teams to qualify. And their fate is not fully in their own hands either, courtesy of their poor performance in the Super 8. Their chances rely on the match between Australia and India. Any outcome other than an Indian win will blow away their chances even before the game starts. The only chance they have is that Australia lose to India and they beat Afghanistan by such a margin that will give them the necessary advantage in the net run rate.
Performance and Team Situation
The stats would say Afghanistan dominated the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Both the highest run-scorer and highest wicket-taker are from their team. Not only that, two of the top 4 run-scorers of this tournament are from Afghanistan. Their openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have scored 449 runs combined which is the highest by any opening pair in this World Cup. Similarly, three of the top 10 wicket-takers are from Afghanistan this time. Therefore, Afghanistan looks solid in every aspect of the match. No wonder they have come this far. However, a major problem is their over-reliance on their openers for runs. The openers produced heavily for the Afghans as mentioned earlier. But none of the other batters could score even 100 in the tournament. That is one aspect they would like to sort out before this match.
On the other hand, Bangladesh is in a grave situation currently. Their bowling line-up has been productive. Bangladesh and Afghanistan are two of the three sides that have multiple bowlers with 10 wickets in this tournament (the other is India). Yet they are in a dire situation due to their batting lineup. The misery of their top-order continues. Even though skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto scored some runs in the Super 8, it did not prove to be enough. And other batters are also in miserable form and critically inconsistent. To give a picture of their batting, they are the only side from the Super 8 which does not have a batter who scored 150 runs. The good news for them is that the match is at St. Vincent where they have an excellent record and the conditions are bowling-friendly. Still, there is little to no hope with this batting lineup.
Table: An overview of Afghanistan’s performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
| Match Played | 6 |
| Won | 4 |
| Lost | 2 |
| Tie/NR | 0 |
| Highest Run-scorer | Rahmanullah Gurbaz (238) |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Fazalhaq Farooqi (15) |
Table: An overview of Bangladesh’s performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
| Match Played | 6 |
| Won | 3 |
| Lost | 3 |
| Tie/NR | 0 |
| Highest Run-scorer | Towhid Hridoy (139) |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Tanzim Hasan Sakib (11) |
Bangladesh vs Afghanista H2H T20I Records So Far
Table: Head-to-Head T20I Records Between Bangladesh and Afghanistan So Far
| Matches Played | Bangladesh Won | Afghanistan Won | TIE/NR |
| 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
Table: H2H Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Records In the T20 World Cup Tournaments So Far
| Matches Played | Bangladesh Won | Afghanistan Won | TIE/NR |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Bangladesh somehow managed to stay unbeaten against Afghanistan in the ICC tournaments so far. But Afghanistan have more wins against them in the overall T20I scenario.
Probable Lineups
Most Probable XI of the Bangladesh Team
Tanzid Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman.
Most Probable XI of the Afghanistan Team
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (Captain), Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Nangeyalia Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Key Players to Watch in Bangladesh Team
Tanzim Hasan Sakib
Bangladesh have been relying on their bowlers largely to get a result in this campaign. This match will not be any different either. Tanzim Sakib has been a real menace for the opponent`s top-order batters. Afghanistan’s top order secures a lion’s share of their batting performance. Therefore, the best bowler of Bangladesh in this World Cup has to pick up early wickets and give Bangladesh a real chance in this match.
Rishad Hossain
He can be the answer to Rashid Khan for Bangladesh. Rishad Hossain has been a revelation of this T20 World Cup. Afghanistan also have a weakness against the leg-spin like Bangladesh. Therefore, his role would be key to restricting the middle order of the Afghanistan team.
Litton Kumer Das
Despite his form, Litton Kumer Das remains a key in this match. It is mostly because of his numbers against Afghanistan. Given their spinners will operate in the middle overs, someone from the top-order of Bangladesh needs to play a good knock to give them runs in the powerplay. Litton Kumer Das has to take that role for Bangladesh.
Key Players to Watch in Afghanistan Team
Rashid Khan
The Afghanistan skipper will always be the most important player for them. Bangladesh have a historical weakness in dealing with leg spinners. And arguably the best leg-spinner of the generation in the condition of St. Lucia can take Bangladesh batting apart. Afghanistan would want that.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
The highest run-scorer of this tournament has a lot to do in this match. The net run rate would be a huge factor in their qualification for the semis. Therefore, his early power in the batting would not only make life difficult for Bangladesh but give a huge boost to their semi-final hopes.
Fazalhaq Farooqi
The highest wicket-taker of the tournament playing against one of his favorite opponents. The prospects are highly attractive for Afghanistan at this point. It can be crucial to take early wickets of the already struggling Bangladesh top-order and restrict them to a low total which will take them to the semis.
Verdict
Despite the history of these two teams being neck-and-neck, Afghanistan have to be the favorite at this point due to the way they have been performing in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. However, it is expected that the BAN vs AFG match at the Super 8 stage will be thrilling, and exciting.
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