Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

AFG vs WI 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report. AFG vs WI 1st T20I Match Today. Afghanistan vs West Indies 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction

After some of the most old-fashioned ODI cricket you’d see, attention moves to the T20I format in Lucknow.

Afghanistan, who have now lost 12 ODIs in a row after their 3-0 defeat, enjoyed a winning run of 12 in T20Is up until September. It is the format they are best at, particularly given many of their players are involved in Leagues around the globe.

Now, they will be out to right the wrongs of the ODI series against West Indies. An interesting series awaits as the Windies possess their own exciting talent, even with the loss of Nicholas Pooran to suspension. Can the Windies enjoy more success on what is proving to be a fine tour so far?

Key to an Afghanistan win

A number of players were stepping up during Afghanistan’s excellent run of 12 straight wins. Whether it was Hazratullah Zazai’s amazing exploits or the experienced middle order patching things up, the Afghans were always putting strong scores on the board.

Now, they are on a run of two defeats, against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The batting performances were slightly off in both games, putting onus on Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai to deliver a strong start that this time the middle order needs to build on.

Also, Afghanistan’s spinners worked hard in the ODI series, only to be blunted by the Windies’ patience. There is no room for such patience in T20s, so Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb ur Rahman will be up against batsmen trying to attack them more. Can these three deliver 12 strong overs, backed up well by the seamers?

Key to a West Indies win

Nicholas Pooran is out for the Windies, but ample CPL talent remains. Lendl Simmons, trumped only by now teammate Brandon King in CPL 2019, could be asked to provide crucial runs in the powerplay to propel the Windies early.

With the likes of King, Shimron Hetmyer, Kieron Pollard and co. able to send the ball miles, it is vital the Windies rotate the strike effectively against the spinners so that when they do score boundaries, they are of greater value.

Also, with a few international matches under his belt, Hayden Walsh Jr is one to watch out for. He also dominated in CPL 2019, and if the Windies’ attack can come together as they did in the ODIs, the Afghanistan batsmen might find the going difficult.

Also read: A few West Indians in this list: 10 great T20 records that will be very tough to break

Possible Playing 11

Afghanistan: 1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2. Hazratullah Zazai, 3. Asghar Afghan, 4. Najibullah Zadran, 5. Mohammad Nabi, 6. Gulbadin Naib, 7. Karim Janat, 8. Rashid Khan (c), 9. Naveen-ul-Haq, 10. Sharafuddin Ashraf/Yamin Ahmadzi, 11. Mujeeb ur Rahman

West Indies: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Brandon King, 4. Shimron Hetmyer, 5. Denesh Ramdin (wk), 6. Kieron Pollard (c), 7. Jason Holder, 8. Fabian Allen, 9. Kharry Pierre, 10. Sheldon Cottrell, 11. Hayden Walsh Jr

Pitch and Conditions

The pitch in Lucknow was on the slow side in the ODIs. If the team batting first can score 150+, it could very well be a winning total. Haze will continue to be present, but no rain is forecast.

Also read: How you can earn money from a cricket blog

Stats and Facts

• West Indies have won three of four T20Is vs Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan won 12 T20Is in a row before two losses in a row vs Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
• Brandon King and Lendl Simmons combined for 826 runs in CPL 2019.
• Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb ur Rahman have a combined 168 wickets in 127 T20Is.

Dream11 Prediction

Also read: MyTeam11 vs Dream11: Which is better for you?

Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

What a tough pick. Afghanistan are back in their preferred format but West Indies have the form so far on this tour.

In a tight match, Afghanistan’s spinners could come up trumps and help deliver a breakthrough victory. Indeed, this game could go either way.

Thanks for reading!