Cricket
Upbeat Afghans ready to take on Bangladesh Tuesday
Afghanistan superstar Rashid Khan said he does not consider Bangladesh as easier opponents than Sri Lanka.
Speaking hours before his team’s clash with Bangladesh on Tuesday night, Khan disagreed with Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanka who said Bangladesh will be easier opponents than Sri Lanka for Afghanistan.
Rashid and his team beat Sri Lanka in the first match of the Asia Cup in the UAE by eight wickets. Buoyed by the massive win the Afghans are all set to take on Bangladesh on Tuesday.
“We have played well against Sri Lanka, but that is past now,” Rashid said. “We are ready for a new challenge against Bangladesh. We play match by match— we don’t think about what would happen in future and what had already happened.”
Read:Asia Cup 2022: Which Bangladesh players have potential to bat like Hardik Pandya?
Afghanistan pace-bowling stars Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq demolished the battling line of Sri Lanka in the first match that set the stage for them, and after that, Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz batted superbly to lead Afghanistan to a big win.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, is still in search of a good rhythm in the format. After the last T20 World Cup in Oman and the UAE, they won only two T20Is.
Ahead of the ongoing Asia Cup T20, Bangladesh handed the captaincy to Shakib Al Hasan which has surely boosted the confidence of the Bangladesh camp. And right before the Asia Cup, BCB appointed former Indian cricketer Sridharan Sriram as the technical consultant of the Bangladesh T20 team.
Sridharan is actually playing the role of the head coach of Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. Bangladesh are expecting a good result with all these changes.
Asia Cup 2022: Which Bangladesh players have potential to bat like Hardik Pandya?
The wait for Bangladesh cricket fans to see their team play in the Asia Cup 2022 will finally be over on Tuesday. The Bangladesh national men’s T20 cricket team will take on Afghanistan in their opening fixture on August 30 at the Sharjah Cricket Ground. The match will start at 8 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time).
The Bangladesh team needs a suitable strategy which could help them dominate Afghanistan during the contest. Power hitting is one of the areas where the Tigers need to give special attention. India’s Hardik Pandya impressed everyone with his match-winning, aggressive knock against Pakistan. He was also lauded for staying calm at the crease while chasing the target. Someone from the Bangladesh squad will have to do a similar kind of role like Pandya does for India. Let’s take a look at which Bangladeshi players have power-hitting potential in the death overs.
What is Hardik Pandya’s role in India’s Twenty20 team?
The 28-year-old Indian all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, made his international debut in the Twenty20 format against Australia in 2016. Hardik was initially considered the next Kapil Dev of Indian cricket because of his ability both with the bat and ball. Over the years, he has made a name for himself by delivering match-winning performances for team India. Pandya is now one of the valuable members of India’s limited-overs side.
Read Asia Cup 2022: 5 striking performers in India vs Pakistan match
Hardik Pandya is a medium pacer and a hard-hitting batter. He has 133 wickets and 2,785 runs in 145 matches for the Indian national team. Pandya is used as a fourth or fifth bowler and his batting position is usually either no. 6 or no. 7.
Hardik always tries to provide important breakthroughs and is economical with the ball. In batting, his current role is to finish the game while chasing and accelerate the run rate in the death overs if he bats first. The right-hander has become one of the most trusted cricketers when it comes to power hitting in the final few overs of an innings.
Pandya’s recent T20I stats speak for themselves. He has featured in 25 Twenty20 International matches since January 2021 and helped India win 17 of them. In winning matches, Pandya’s combined strike rate was more than 150, which indicates how effective a batter he has become for India. Besides, he has been the most successful middle-order batter for team India since 2021.
Read Asia Cup 2022: 8 milestones within sight of Bangladesh players
Since January 1, 2021, the top three most successful middle-order batters for India in the T20 format
Player
Innings
Runs
HS
Ave
SR
50+
6s
Hardik Pandya
21
479
51
31.93
142.55
1
23
Rishabh Pant
20
419
52*
27.93
127.35
1
13
Suryakumar Yadav
12
379
117
37.90
181.33
3
21
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Bangladeshi players who have potentials to bat like Hardik Pandya
Bangladesh cricketers’ records haven’t been that impressive in comparison to the players of big cricketing nations. However, they have very good T20 records at domestic level. The players need to focus more and improve their technical ability in order to improve their performance on the international stage for the Bangladesh national side.
Read Asia Cup 2022: How Bangladesh can defeat a confident Afghanistan team
The Bangladesh players who bat between five and eight positions will have to play a similar kind of role to India’s Hardik Pandya. The players who can bat in the middle order are: Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mosaddek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mahedi Hasan, and Mohammad Saifuddin. Except for Sabbir Rahman, the rest of the four players have regularly played for the Tigers national Twenty20 side in recent series. Sabbir was called back after a three-year absence. Let’s see their performances in T20I cricket.
Mohammad Saifuddin
Saifuddin has a similar kind of cricketing profile to Hardik Pandya. If the left-hander gets a chance in the playing XI, he will bat at no.8. However, Saifuddin is yet to reach the level of Pandya in batting.
Mushfiqur Rahim
The veteran batter, Mushfiqur is expected to bat at No.4. According to reports, he may even open the innings for Bangladesh. Mushfiqur’s role will be to strengthen the middle-order, not to play a specific hard-hitting role.
Read Asia Cup 2022: Live streaming TV channels, online platforms to watch from Bangladesh
Mahmudullah Riyad
Mahmudullah Riyad is the most experienced cricketer among them. But Riyad’s recent international performances haven’t been up to the mark. His overall strike rate has dropped since last year.
Mahedi Hasan
Another potential player could be Mahedi Hasan. The right-handed, aggressive-minded batter has found a place in the Bangladesh T20 squad by showing impressive performances in the BPL tournaments. However, Mahedi is yet to fulfill his true potential for the national side.
Sabbir Rahman
Sabbir has a decent T20I record and could be an ideal candidate for the power-hitting duties. He has a better average and strike rate than the other two. Sabbir has also hit more T20I sixes than Afif and Mosaddek. One major worry regarding Sabbir could be his absence from international cricket for three long years. Making a comeback and immediately starting to perform is quite difficult. If Sabbir gets a chance to play at his full potential, he could be a real trump card for Bangladesh.
Read Asia Cup Cricket 2022: Meet the captains of 6 participating teams
Afif Hossain
Afif gets the vice-captaincy role for the Bangladesh T20I side, which indicates how highly the BCB has valued his potential. The left-handed batter has shown that he is very much capable of accelerating the run rate. With time, he could get even better. The possibility of promoting Afif in the batting order is unlikely in this tournament. Therefore, he may be seen to play at either the no.5 or no.6 position.
Mosaddek Hossain
Mosaddek is very much capable of smashing the ball out of the ground. Surprisingly, he has only seven sixes in 19 T20I innings. However, the right-handed batter has the potential to become successful in the power-hitting role if he plays with the proper mindset and feels confident in his ability.
Since January 1, 2021, the top three most successful middle-order batters for Bangladesh in the T20 format
Player
Innings
Runs
HS
Ave
SR
50+
6s
Afif Hossain
33
585
50
21.66
117.46
1
21
Mahmudullah Riyad
31
580
52
22.30
106.03
2
15
Nurul Hasan
22
235
42*
13.82
114.63
0
10
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Asia Cup Cricket: A look back at Bangladesh’s 5 memorable victories
Bottom Line
India’s Hardik Pandya is arguably the best power hitter in the lower middle order from Asia. He has the ability to win a match on his own through his swashbuckling batting effort in the death overs. The Bangladesh Twenty20 cricket team has very limited options to do a job like Pandya in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022. Sabbir Rahman, Afif Hossain and Mosaddek Hossain are probably the three Bangladesh players who have the potential to bat like Hardik Pandya.
Will they, or anyone from the middle-order, be able to fulfill the expectation of power-hitting in this tournament? The Bangladesh campaign is hoping that someone will carry the responsibility and will make an invaluable impact on the team.
Alok Kapali says goodbye to first-class cricket
Alok Kapali, who picked up the first hat-trick in Tests for Bangladesh and scored many runs in the domestic arena in the last 22 years, announced his retirement from first-class cricket Monday.
On the same day, on August 29 in 2003, the all-rounder claimed a hat-trick in a Test against Pakistan.
In his 93-match international career, Alok was considered the best fielder for Bangladesh. He scored 1,876 runs in international cricket and played his last Test in 2006.
Alok's only hundred in international cricket came against India in Karachi in 2008.
Read: Asia Cup 2022: 8 milestones within sight of Bangladesh players
"I've been playing first-class cricket for the last two decades. And I've taken part in international cricket for Bangladesh in every format," Alok wrote on his social media page.
"I would like to thank you all who have supported me a lot along the way. I'm proud to be a part of the sporting arena of Bangladesh and Sylhet."
"I think this is the time to pave the way for young talents," he added. "I have decided to retire from first-class cricket so that I can give more time to my family and pave the way for the young cricketers."
Despite deciding to retire from first-class cricket, Kapali said that he would continue to play in the shorter version of domestic cricket.
In his 172-match first-class career, Alok scored more than 9,000 runs with 20 centuries and 37 half-centuries.
Tigers want to clip high-flying Afghans' wings
Bangladesh will start their Asia Cup campaign Tuesday with the match against Afghanistan who are flying high after beating Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the event opener.
Despite being a more experienced side than Afghanistan, Bangladesh are far behind them in the shortest format of the game.
The Afghans lost a series earlier this month against Ireland, but they came back strongly against Sri Lanka to make a flying start to the Asia Cup. Their pacers ripped through the Sri Lankan batting order.
However, Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan said they are not tagging Afghanistan as a bad or good team. "We are looking forward to proving our mettle in the field."
In the first match of the Asia Cup, Afghan pace duo Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq destroyed Sri Lanka's batting.
Read: Asia Cup 2022: 8 milestones within sight of Bangladesh players
Chasing 105 runs, Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz won the match in 10.1 overs.
And in the absence of Liton Das, Bangladesh might go with Anamul Haque and Mohammad Naim as the openers.
Naim was axed earlier from the T20 team. Now he is back after hitting a century in a 50-over match for Bangladesh A team against the West Indies A.
Mohammad Saifuddin and Sabbir Rahman, who were out of international cricket for a long time, are surprising inclusions in the playing XI.
However, Bangladesh will heavily rely on Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim.
With this match against Afghanistan, Shakib will become the third Bangladeshi to play 100 T20s after Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur.
The match will begin at 8pm Tuesday and will be telecast live on T-Sports.
Probable Bangladesh XI
Mohammad Naim, Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Afif Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah Riyad, Sabbir Rahman, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman
Asia Cup 2022: 5 striking performers in India vs Pakistan match
India took sweet revenge for their disappointing T20 World Cup 2021 loss to Pakistan on Sunday (August 28) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India started off their Asia Cup 2022 campaign with a winning note by beating arch-rival Pakistan by 5 wickets with two balls to spare. The Indian side was in control of the majority of the innings despite the fact that the match lasted till the final over. Let’s take a look at who were the five key performers in the India vs Pakistan Group A match.
5 Crucial Performances in the India vs Pakistan Group A match
Both teams are taking part in the tournament without having two key fast bowlers – Shaheen Shah Afridi of Pakistan and Jasprit Bumrah of India. Pakistan incorporated Naseem Shah into the playing XI while India included Arshdeep Singh. Both the youngsters had a good outing in the contest, particularly Naseem Shah, who was lauded for his dedication to finishing his spell despite struggling with cramps.
It was Virat Kohli’s 100th Twenty20 International match but his barren form with the bat continued as the right-hand batter was dismissed for 35. The major performer of the match was India’s Hardik Pandya. He stole the majority of headlines for his effective all-round performance which eventually saw India come out victorious in the match’s final over. Here are the five key performances in the contest.
Read Asia Cup 2022: 8 milestones within sight of Bangladesh players
Hardik Pandya’s brilliant all-round performance
Hardik had a terrific outing both with the bat and bowl against Pakistan in Group A’s first match. He picked up wickets when a partnership was building in the middle. His pinpoint accurate shot deliveries were effective against Pakistani batters, forcing them to surrender. Hardik Pandya came to the crease when India lost 4 wickets for 89, a crucial stage in the match.
The aggressive-minded right-hand batter was determined to play his natural game, and he was successful in his mission. When the equation was 6 needed from 3 balls, the Indian campaign looked tense. But Pandya remained calm in the middle and secured the victory by smashing a huge six to Nawaz in the long-on region. 33 off 17 with the bat and 3/25 with the ball was more than enough for Hardik Pandya to win the Player of the Match award.
Ravindra Jadeja’s crucial knock
Ravindra delivered a crucial knock with the bat while India were pursuing Pakistan's 147. India had fallen to 50/2 when Jadeja stepped onto the field. Jadeja was moved up to No. 4 in order to build the team's innings. He played a crucial 35 off 29 balls to repay his captain's faith in him. Ravindra Jadeja remained at the crease till the 20th over in order to keep India in the run chase.
Read Asia Cup 2022: How Bangladesh can defeat a confident Afghanistan team
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s timely breakthroughs
In Jasprit Bumrah's absence, experienced pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has to take additional responsibilities in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 for India. With a 4/26 bowling figure, he was the most successful bowler in the match against Pakistan. Bhuvi picked up wickets at the crucial stages of Pakistan's innings. Along with the wicket of skipper Babar Azam, the wickets of Shadab Khan and Asif Ali in the death overs were crucial.
Naseem Shah’s sparkling T20I debut
Pakistan may have lost the battle in the final over, but there are some positives they can take from the contest. One of the positives is young pacer Naseem Shah. Naseem was the replacement for the injured Shaheen Shah Afridi. He was excellent with the ball and picked up KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav. But he was mainly lauded for his commitment to finishing his spell despite suffering cramps. The 19-year-old showed promise in his debut T20I match with a 4-0-27-2 bowling figure.
Read Asia Cup 2022: 12 Key Players to Watch in the Tournament
Shahnawaz Dahani’s aggressive batting in the death overs
Although Dahani was picked as a front-line bowler, it was his batting in the death overs that caught the eyes of everyone. Shahnawaz came to the crease when Pakistan had 128 runs on board in 18.3 overs. He scored 16 runs in 6 balls with 2 huge sixes and carried Pakistan's total to 147. Thanks to Shahnawaz Dahani's power hitting, Pakistan managed to put a challenging total on board.
Way Forward
The first match of Group A between India and Pakistan was one of the most exciting T20I contests between the two teams. With this victory, India have extended their head-to-head lead with seven wins. The two sides will likely face off again in the Super Four round, and the possibility of meeting in the final is also very high. Players from both sides were pumped up during the contest, and some of them had outstanding outings. The performance level of the cricketers will be improving as the tournament progresses. Therefore, more exciting cricket is waiting in the Asia Cup 2022.
Read Asia Cup 2022: Live streaming TV channels, online platforms to watch from Bangladesh
Asia Cup 2022: 8 milestones within sight of Bangladesh players
The Bangladesh national men’s Twenty20 cricket team is all set to play its first match of the Asia Cup 2022 on August 30 against Afghanistan. They will play at least two matches if they are knocked out in the group phase. But the team Tigers will play more matches if they qualify for the Super Four round. The more games they get to play during the tournament, the more likely they are to achieve personal milestones. Let's look at some of the personal achievements that Bangladesh's cricketers are vying for.
Individual milestones that Bangladesh cricketers can attain in the Asia Cup 2022
Some of Bangladesh's players can attain personal milestones in the ongoing fifteenth edition of the Asia Cup Cricket. One of the key milestones is when Shakib Al Hasan will come onto the field against Afghanistan on Tuesday to play his 100th Twenty20 International match. Besides him, there are at least 10 individual landmarks of Bangladesh players which can be attained in the competition.
100th Twenty20 International match
Captain Shakib Al Hasan has played 99 T20I matches for Bangladesh. He is only one game away from becoming the third Bangladeshi cricketer to play 100 T20I matches after Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim.
Read Asia Cup 2022: How Bangladesh can defeat a confident Afghanistan team
1000 T20I Runs
Hard-hitting batter Sabbir Rahman returned to the Bangladesh national squad after a three-year absence. If he gets a chance in the playing XI, Sabbir Rahman can reach his 1000 T20I run milestone. The right-handed batter has 946 runs to his name, only 54 runs shy of completing the milestone.
1000 Twenty20 International Runs
Top-order batter Mohammad Naim was included in place of Nurul Hasan Sohan. Naim has 809 runs to his name in 34 T20I innings. He needs 191 more runs to complete his 1000-run milestone. However, Naim’s possibility of reaching the milestone depends on whether he gets a chance to play for Bangladesh in the tournament.
100 Twenty20 International Wickets
Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman has 91 wickets in 69 T20I matches. He needs 9 more wickets to become the second Bangladeshi player after Shakib Al Hasan to snatch 100 T20I wickets.
Read Asia Cup 2022: Live streaming TV channels, online platforms to watch from Bangladesh
Third-Most Dismissals in the T20I
Veteran wicket-keeper batter Mushfiqur Rahim has 61 dismissals in 100 matches. He needs three more dismissals to pass West Indies' Denesh Ramdin (63) for third place in the all-time T20I dismissals chart. India’s MS Dhoni (91) and South Africa’s Quinton de Kock (77) are in first and second position, respectively.
50 T20I catches
Veteran all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad has 45 catches in 119 T20I matches. He needs to take five more to have 50 catches in T20 cricket.
50 T20I Matches
The young and talented all-rounder Afif Hossain has featured in 47 T20I matches for Bangladesh. If the Tigers qualify for the Super Four round, Afif will get a chance to become the ninth Bangladeshi cricketer to play 50 T20 international matches.
Read Asia Cup Cricket: A look back at Bangladesh’s 5 memorable victories
100 International Matches
Right-handed medium pacer Taskin Ahmed has featured in 97 matches for Bangladesh. Taskin can play his 100th match for the Bangladesh national men’s cricket team in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.
Bottom Line
Setting a personal record for the national team is always satisfying for a player. Bangladeshi players will be inspired by the impending milestones to play well at the Asia Cup 2022, which will ultimately have a big influence on the team's performance as a whole.
Read Asia Cup Cricket 2022: Meet the captains of 6 participating teams
India hold their nerve to edge Pakistan in Asia Cup thriller
India beat their arch-rivals Pakistan by five wickets with two balls remaining in a thrilling finish to their opening fixture in the Asia Cup on Sunday night in Dubai.
Pakistan batted first and posted a moderate total of 147 for all wickets. In reply, India chased the total in the last over with five wickets in hand. Hardik Pandya displayed outstanding all-round performance to win the game for India. He bagged three wickets and smashed an unbeaten 33 to finish the match.
India needed 51 runs in the last 30 balls. They managed to score only 35 runs in the previous five overs— from 10 to 15 overs— with six wickets in hand.
Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja kept scoring runs and kept India alive in the match very well. In the 16th, 17th and 18th overs, India scored 9, 10 and 11 respectively.
In the last two overs, they needed 21 runs. Pandya smashed Haris Rauf for three fours in the 19th over, and India needed only seven off the last over.
Mohammad Nawaz, the most successful bowler of Pakistan in the match, removed Jadeja from the first ball of the last over. Jadeja made 35 off 29 balls.
But it was Pandya who finished the game in style hitting Nawaz for a six over the long-on when India required only six off the last two balls.
Read: Asia Cup 2022: How Bangladesh can defeat a confident Afghanistan team
Eventually, India won the match by five wickets. Pandya remained unbeaten for 33 off 17 balls. He hit four fours and one six.
India’s best scorer was Virat Kohli with 35 off 34 balls. Once again, it was not an ideal Virat-like innings. The right-handed batter has been suffering from poor from for a while now, and it was just another poor innings from the master.
Pakistan made a good start when Naseem Shah removed Lokesh Rahul for a duck. But Pakistan failed to continue putting pressure on the Indian batting line. For them, Nawaz bagged three wickets for 33 runs and Naseem took two.
Earlier, India won the toss and opted to bowl first. Pakistan made an eventful start by getting two reviews to them in the first over of the match.
Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain, played a couple of glorious shots before getting dismissed by Bhuvneshwar. Fakhar Zaman made a good start but failed to continue on it. He walked off the field after making a nick when no Indian appealed for it.
Mohammad Rizwan made was firm at the other end of the wicket. He made 43 off 42 balls. He was about to accelerate the innings, but at that moment, he was sent back by Pandya.
Iftikhar Ahmed made 28 off 22 balls. However, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan and Asif Ali failed to deliver in the high-octane match.
The last batter Shahnawaz Dahani made 16 off just 6 balls with two sixes.
For India, Bhuvneshwar was the best bowler taking four wickets for 26 in four overs while Pandya scalped three four 25 in four overs as well.
Before this match, India and Pakistan faced each others in nine T20Is with India winning six and Pakistan two— one match was tied.
Asia Cup: Pakistan bat first against India
In the biggest Asia Cup clash so far, India wrapped up Pakistan for 147 thanks to outstanding bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya.
India won the toss and opted to bowl first. Pakistan made an eventful start by getting two reviews to favour them in the first over of the match.
Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain, played a couple of glorious shots before getting dismissed by Bhuvneshwar. Fakhar Zaman made a good start but failed to continue on it. He walked off the field after making a nick when no Indian appealed for it.
Read: Greatest cricket rivalry: India meet Pakistan at Asia Cup
Mohammad Rizwan made was firm at the other end of the wicket. He made 43 off 42 balls. He was about to accelerate the innings, but at that moment, he was sent back by Hardik.
Iftikhar Ahmed made 28 off 22 balls. However, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan and Asif Ali failed to deliver in the high-octane match.
The last batter Shahnawaz Dahani made 16 off just 6 balls with two sixes.
For India, Bhuvneshwar was the best bowler taking four wickets for 26 in four overs while Hardik scalped three four 25 in four overs as well.
Before this match, India and Pakistan faced each others in nine T20Is with India winning six and Pakistan two— one match was tied.
Greatest cricket rivalry: India meet Pakistan at Asia Cup
In the searing Dubai heat, arch-rivals India and Pakistan will meet in the shortest format of the game Sunday for the first time since the latter's 10-wicket win at the World T20 in October 2021.
When the two cricketing giants take on each other in their Asia Cup 2022 opener, it will be the 10th meeting between Pakistan and India in the T20s. India hold the upper hand, winning six of those.
India's biggest T20 win came against Pakistan in 2007 when they won the World Cup beating Pakistan by 5 runs.
Over the years, Pakistan evolved as a T20 team, and India also came a long way in the format, thanks to IPL. In every season, the IPL managed to produce some new talents for India while Pakistan also started to benefit from the PSL.
Read: Asia Cup 2022: India vs Pakistan Group A Match preview
Ahead of the all-important match, India coach Rahul Dravid returned to the team after recovering from Covid. However, the absence of Jasprit Bumrah will surely be felt by the Indian side. The pacer is out due to an injury.
Pakistan also looked comfortable despite losing the service of Shaheen Afridi. Hasan Ali made a comeback by replacing Mohammad Wasim Jr. who got a side strain during a practice session.
While India and Pakistan are all set to start their Asia Cup campaign, Bangladesh will play their first match against Afghanistan on August 30.
Asia Cup 2022: How Bangladesh can defeat a confident Afghanistan team
The Bangladesh national men’s Twenty20 cricket team will start their Asia Cup 2022 campaign on Tuesday against Afghanistan. The match is crucial for the team Tigers in their quest for a Super Four berth. Bangladesh will play with less pressure in their final group stage fixture against Sri Lanka on September 1 if they can beat Afghanistan in their first match. Afghanistan, on the other hand, will secure a place in the next round if they beat Bangladesh. The Team Tigers have a tough job on hand to overcome a confident Afghan side who destroyed the Lankan side in the tournament opener. Let’s take a look at what the Bangladesh team needs to do to overcome Afghanistan.
Why is Afghanistan the top team in Group B?
The Afghanistan men’s national T20 team shocked many cricket pundits in the Asia Cup 2022 opener by beating Sri Lanka by eight wickets in a one-sided affair at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday. The way Afghanistan dominated the contest was quite shocking to many.
The majority of cricket experts consider Sri Lanka the favourite in Group B to advance to the Super Four phase. But after their dismal showing against Afghanistan, they could be the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.
Read Afif named vice captain of Bangladesh cricket team for Asia Cup
Afghanistan is a dangerous Twenty20 side. However, they have a tendency to struggle when facing the world’s best opponents, which is an unjustified remark towards them. The stats indicate that Afghanistan haven’t played many matches against big opposition. If given a chance on a regular basis, the Afghan side could be able to showcase their true potential against tougher opponents.
On paper, Sri Lanka's squad in Group B has the most talented shorter-format players. However, Afghanistan have found the perfect balance in their play, which is key to winning the contest. Bangladesh, on the other hand, have arrived in the tournament with some disappointing performances in recent series and they are not in better shape at the moment. That is why Afghanistan should be considered the best team from this group.
Team Tigers captain Shakib Al Hasan didn’t reveal any particular target to the media before leaving the country. Voicing an aim would be somewhat foolish if the team is having trouble putting together a winning combination for the playing XI. Shakib knows he has to fix some areas before showing his confidence in the press conference.
Read Asia Cup: Afghanistan make flying start beating Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in opener
The Sri Lankan campaign didn’t expect that they would see a monstrous performance from the Afghanistan side. Their equation to reach the next round will become even more difficult if Bangladesh manage to beat Afghanistan in the next match of Group B. Sri Lanka will then have to beat Bangladesh by a big margin, like the way they lost to Afghanistan. The talented Lankan players need to show a ruthless and dominating performance in their last group phase match.
The Afghanistan campaign is now riding high on confidence after their brilliant performance in the fifteenth edition of the Asia Cup. Their openers were ruthless towards the Lankan bowlers, and their bowling unit choked the opposition batters by showing good discipline with the ball. If this performance is maintained, Bangladesh will find it difficult to beat them.
Things Bangladesh need to ponder before the Afghanistan clash
Making an ideal team combination is now the major concern for Bangladesh team management. Two of the confirmed players for the playing XI, Nurul Hasan and Hasan Mahmud, are out due to injuries. Mohammad Naim and Ebadot Hossain replaced them in the squad.
Read Asia Cup 2022: India vs Pakistan Group A Match preview
The main concern is which players the Bangladesh team management would be willing to include in the playing XI. There are certain things they need to ponder before constructing a team for the massive clash against Afghanistan.
What will be the role of Bangladesh's openers?
There is no clear-cut indication from the Bangladesh team management regarding the opening pairs. But multiple sources claimed that Anamul Haque Bijoy’s position in the opening slot is likely confirmed. Shakib wants Mushfiqur Rahim to be Anamul’s opening partner. If Mushfiqur gets an opening slot, that could turn out to be a fruitful one for the team.
Mushfiqur is the most experienced player in the squad and can play spinners well. If he can give a blistering start, that would do well for the Tigers. Anamul, on the other hand, would play the anchor role by staying at the crease till the end of the innings.
Read Asia Cup 2022: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Group B Match 1 preview
What should the upper middle-order do if things go south?
The chance of openers failing is a possibility since Bangladesh have yet to find an ideal opening pair in the T20 format. The upper middle-order then has a big responsibility to construct the innings in order to put up a competitive score on the board.
A partnership consisting of 10 overs would be ideal from the upper middle-order if the top order fails to deliver in the innings. Their main target would be to set the foundation for the power hitters in the lower middle order to accelerate the run rates in the death overs.
The approach of the power hitters in the death overs
The Bangladesh team management's current top concern is a lack of proper power hitters. Batting coach Jamie Siddons is working hard to teach his students some power hitting skills. How much the players have learned and their execution ability will be seen during the contest. But, Bangladesh should target a big score in order to overcome the Afghanistan side. In the death overs, batters must try to smack the ball out of the ground in search of more than 50 runs in the last five overs.
Read Asia Cup 2022 Group B Preview: Can Bangladesh Reach Super 4 Round?
The strategy of Bangladesh's bowling unit
Afghanistan batters are well-equipped to play strokes, as was seen in the first match of the 2022 Asia Cup Cricket. Bangladesh bowlers may find it hard to stop them if they don’t show discipline in their bowling. The team Tigers' bowlers must maintain great consistency in their bowling and shouldn’t let them have any chance to free their arms.
Since Afghan batters love to play big shots, they can be agitated if the opposition bowlers continue to deliver dot balls. Making them feel uncomfortable in the middle could be a nice strategy against them, so that they are forced to make a mistake. Besides, there is nothing better way to put the opposition batting lineup under pressure than picking up early wickets.
Afghanistan’s T20 record at Sharjah Ground is a major worry for Bangladesh
The second match of Group B between Bangladesh and Afghanistan will take place at the Sharjah Cricket Ground on August 30. This is a good hunting venue for Afghanistan. They have won 10 out of 13 matches played at the Sharjah stadium. Although they have only ever defeated weaker opponents. In contrast, Bangladesh lost the two matches they played against Sri Lanka and West Indies at this venue in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
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Afghan players have dominated the individual stats at this ground. The top three run scorers and the top three bowlers are from Afghanistan. Mohammad Shahzad is the top scorer at this ground with 430 runs, followed by Mohammad Nabi with 260 runs. Both players have more than 140 strike rates. Samiullah Shinwari leads the bowling stats with 12 wickets, while Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan both have 10 wickets each.
The Afghan players are well versed with the conditions and they can capitalize on them during the match against Bangladesh. The Tigers must first understand the nature of the Sharjah pitch and then devise an appropriate strategy.
Head-to-Head record: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan
Afghanistan have a better head-to-head T20 record against Bangladesh. The Afghan side has won five and lost three of the eight matches they have faced against the team Tigers. The two sides last met each other in a 2-match bilateral series last March, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Afghanistan even whitewashed Bangladesh in a 3-match bilateral series in June 2018.
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H2H T20I record between Bangladesh and Afghanistan
Match
Bangladesh Won
Afghanistan Won
8
3
5
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Bottom Line
Afghanistan will start as favourites in their final Group B fixture against Bangladesh on August 30 at the Sharjah Cricket stadium. There are three reasons why Afghanistan are favourites against Bangladesh. One of the main reasons is that the Afghan T20 side has a magnificent record at the Sharjah Cricket Ground. Besides, they have a more well-balanced squad than their opposition, and their confidence level is high after a thumping win over Sri Lanka.
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Bangladesh have to overcome all the odds against their opposition to clinch their opening fixture in the Asia Cup 2022. The team Tigers have quality players in their roster to find a way to beat the Afghan side. However, the players need to be determined, the game plan in the Bangladesh vs Afgnatisnan match in Asia Cup Cricket 2022 has to be executed properly, and luck should be on Bangladesh’s side in this contest to come out as victorious.