Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
Afghanistan vs Ireland 2nd T20I Preview Dream11. AFG vs IRE 2nd T20I Preview Dream11 Prediction
Did the first T20I go the way you expected? Or were there some elements you didn’t expect?
For periods of the first match, Afghanistan certainly didn’t have it all their own way. They started and ended the match very strongly, but in between, there were fears of quite the upset. Mohammad Nabi was superb with both bat and ball to get his side home, and with another series win up for grabs, an improved performance from the Afghans will be the order of the day.
There were certainly plenty of positives for Ireland. Their batting against spin remains a concern, but the fight shown by George Dockrell and Stuart Poynter sent a message to the rest of their teammates that overcoming Afghanistan’s spin attack is possible. With the Irish then getting the better of Afghanistan’s top order, there is every reason to believe they can be competitive again, especially if they can overcome Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. Can they level the series?
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Key to an Afghanistan win
Afghanistan’s first 10 overs with the ball were excellent in the first T20I, ripping through Ireland’s top order to set up the match. The last part of the innings, though, is cause for improvement, with Afghanistan dishing up inconsistent bowling to let Ireland get to a score they believed they had a chance with. Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Rahman will again be key in choking the Ireland scoring rate in the first half of the innings, giving them another shot at Ireland’s middle order, of which they need to overcome better this time around. Can Afghanistan’s seamers, who conceded 64 runs in seven overs in the first T20I, provide better control and support?
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Also, while a victory is always positive, Afghanistan’s batting wasn’t all pretty two nights ago. With plenty of loose strokeplay, Afghanistan allowed Ireland to get a strong foothold in the match. Here, they could look to change the order around a little, but regardless of the personnel, a smoother start is key as Mohammad Nabi can’t be expected to be the hero always. Hazratullah Zazai is a dangerous player at the top, and can certainly fire, along with the likes of Asghar Afghan and Samiullah Shenwari. Will it be a better powerplay for Afghanistan this time around against the brave Irish?
Key to an Ireland win
Do Ireland truly believe they can bounce back?
Skipper Paul Stirling must help instill confidence and belief in his side ahead of this clash, given the good moments they had two nights ago. As mentioned, their batting against spin remains a concern, but when Stuart Poynter and George Dockrell looked to go straight, Ireland benefited significantly. The likes of Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie and Kevin O’Brien will be crucial at the top, ensuring that dot balls don’t pile up against the spinners, allowing them to possibly target Afghanistan’s seamers who were expensive last time out. Can Ireland set up a better platform, allowing for a 140+ score?
Also read: Pros and cons of Dream11’s deadline time decision.
Also, Ireland need to believe they can get the better of Afghanistan’s top order again. The Afghans love playing their shots up top, and if Ireland can take their chances, they can target the likes of Mohammad Nabi early to cause Afghanistan further trouble. Their seamers, despite Boyd Rankin being expensive, were arguably better than Afghanistan’s, so if they can set a strong platform for their spinners, Ireland can restrict Afghanistan. This is crucial in a must-win clash.
Possible Playing 11
Afghanistan’s batting order didn’t quite work out in the first T20I. It remains to be seen if they persist with the same XI and lineup. With Najibullah Zadran becoming an increasingly important batsman for Afghanistan, he is a player that can move up the order.
Afghanistan: 1. Hazratullah Zazai, 2. Asghar Afghan (c), 3. Samiullah Shenwari, 4. Karim Janat, 5. Mohammad Nabi, 6. Sharafuddin Ashraf, 7. Najibullah Zadran, 8. Shafiqullah (wk), 9. Rashid Khan, 10. Mujeeb ur Rahman, 11. Fareed Ahmed
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With Ireland putting together a competitive performance first up, they could look to stick with the same side, unless they look to go with an extra spinner.
Ireland: 1. Paul Stirling (c), 2. Kevin O’Brien, 3. Andy Balbirnie, 4. Stuart Thompson, 5. Simi Singh, 6. George Dockrell, 7. Shane Getkate, 8. Stuart Poynter (wk), 9. Josh Little, 10. Peter Chase, 11. Boyd Rankin
Dream11 Prediction
With Dream11 now changing its deadline time to official match time, the following teams can be edited upon official team announcements. Your thoughts on the change?
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Stats and Facts
- Afghanistan have now won eight straight T20Is vs Ireland.
- Ireland’s last T20I win against a Test nation was Zimbabwe in 2014.
- Afghanistan have won eight straight T20Is (vs Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Ireland).
Match Prediction
Lots to be positive about for Ireland in the last match, but Afghanistan have that extra know-how in these conditions.
Afghanistan to win and make it 2-0.
Thanks for reading!
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Afghanistan vs Ireland 2nd T20I Preview Dream11. AFG vs IRE 2nd T20I Preview Dream11 Prediction
