Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey

BAN vs AFG Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report: Asia Cup 2022 Match 3 | BAN vs AFG Dream11 Prediction Today | Sharjah Pitch Report

After a memorable first outing against Sri Lanka, Afghanistan are on the brink of the Super 4 stage. Such was their dominance that even a narrow defeat against Bangladesh should see them go through. However, the Afghans will be in no mood to let up after such a fantastic display on the opening night of Asia Cup 2022.

Fazalhaq Farooqi sent another reminder of his powerplay prowess. The spinners applied the chokehold in the way they know how. The batting lineup, led by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, showed they will go hard from the outset to put the pressure back on the opposition.

As a result, it sets things up for a difficult test for Bangladesh. The Tigers continue to struggle in T20Is, and come into this series off the back of a disappointing 2-1 loss in Zimbabwe. In fact, captain Shakib Al Hasan spoke of minimal expectations of his side in this tournament, but whether he believes Bangladesh have a great chance of qualifying for the Super 4 stage after Sri Lanka’s heavy defeat will be on display in Sharjah.

Can Bangladesh’s inconsistent top order overcome Afghanistan’s powerplay bowling? Will the flailing middle order deal with Afghanistan’s spinners? Or will Bangladesh catch Afghanistan off guard with some quality players of their own? An interesting clash awaits.

BAN vs AFG Possible Playing XI

Before the tournament, there were murmurs that Mushfiqur Rahim could open the batting for Bangladesh. If that happens, Afif Hossain is likely to bat at four.

With Litton Das and Nurul Hasan unavailable, Mushfiqur could keep if Bangladesh don’t opt for either Anamul Haque or Parvez Hossain Emon. Also, Mahmudullah’s place has been in doubt in recent times, which could open the door for Sabbir Rahman to return.

Bangladesh: 1. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 2. Mohammad Naim, 3. Shakib Al Hasan (c) 4. Afif Hossain, 5. Mahmudullah/Sabbir Rahman, 6. Mosaddek Hossain/Anamul Haque, 7. Mahedi Hasan, 8. Mohammad Saifuddin/Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9. Taskin Ahmed, 10. Nasum Ahmed, 11. Mustafizur Rahman

Afghanistan look settled. They could stick with the same XI that thrashed Sri Lanka, barring any injury or illness. However, Azmatullah Omarzai’s place is in question after conceding 20 in one over.

Afghanistan: 1. Hazratullah Zazai, 2. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3. Ibrahim Zadran, 4. Najibullah Zadran, 5. Mohammad Nabi, 6. Azmatullah Omarzai/Usman Ghani, 7. Rashid Khan, 8. Karim Janat, 9. Naveen-ul-Haq, 10. Mujeeb ur Rahman, 11. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Bangladesh:

• Shakib Al Hasan has the most wickets for Bangladesh against Afghanistan in T20Is (10). He concedes just 5.70 per over and takes a wicket every 18.1 deliveries.
• Also, given Bangladesh’s batting issues, the Tigers need their captain to deliver with the bat. Shakib has one score of 70* against Afghanistan, but just 67 in his remaining seven innings against them.
• Mushfiqur Rahim strikes at just 119.85 in 46 innings at number five in T20s, compared 128.56 at four and 133.04 at three. So, there is the temptation to bat him higher.
• Rahim averages 24.83 in six innings vs Afghanistan at a strike rate of 119.20. His battle with Rashid Khan could be key, as the legspinner has dismissed Mushfiqur twice for 16 runs in 23 balls in T20s.
• Afif Hossain will be key in keeping things ticking for Bangladesh. He averages 31.20 at number four compared to 19.22 at number five and 18.66 at number six.
• Nasum Ahmed blew Afghanistan away earlier this year with 4/10. The accurate left-arm spinner is one to watch in Sharjah conditions that may aid spin.
• Mustafizur Rahman has taken just two wickets in four T20Is vs Afghanistan (avg. 44.00, SR 39.00). However, his cutters can be difficult to play on the usually slow Sharjah pitch.

Afghanistan:

• Mohammad Nabi has a wealth of experience at Sharjah. The all-rounder has the third-most runs (514) at an average of 27.05 and superb strike rate of 162.66. He also has the second-most wickets (24) at an average of 27.67 and economy of 6.90.
• Also, Nabi has the most runs for Afghanistan vs Bangladesh (141) at an average of 28.20 and strike rate of 128.18. With the ball, he strikes every 31.2 balls at an economy of 5.34.
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz was outstanding against Sri Lanka. The opener hammered 40 off 18 balls. In all T20s this year, Gurbaz has smashed 666 runs at an average of 31.71 and strike rate of 163.64.
• Hazratullah Zazai vs Bangladesh: 4 inns, 113 runs, avg. 37.66, SR 126.96.
• Rashid Khan has a magnificent record against Bangladesh. The legspinner has taken 14 wickets in just seven matches at an average of 10.28 and economy of 5.53.
• Also, Rashid has the most wickets of any bowler at Sharjah. He has taken 25 scalps in 19 matches at an average of 18.28 and economy of 6.16.
• Bangladesh have lost an average of two wickets in each powerplay in T20Is this year. So, the Fazalhaq Farooqi threat is there. Farooqi himself has taken seven wickets in the powerplay in 2022 at an average of 12.3 and economy of just 4.78.
• Mujeeb ur Rahman vs Bangladesh: 6 matches, 7 wickets, avg. 16.85, econ. 5.13.

Other Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 8, Afghanistan 5, Bangladesh 3.
• The two teams met earlier this year for a two-match series in Bangladesh. The Tigers won the first match by 61 runs. Afghanistan bounced back with an eight-wicket win two days later.
• Bangladesh have scored just 7.70 runs per over in the powerplay in T20Is in 2022.
• Mahmudullah has the most runs in BAN-AFG T20Is: 7 inns, 169 runs, avg. 24.14, SR 121.58.
• Hazratullah Zazai has belted 366 runs in 11 innings at Sharjah at an average of 33.27 and strike rate of 186.73. This includes a century.
• Ibrahim Zadran in T20s this year (before Asia Cup 2022): 14 inns, 409 runs, avg. 40.90, SR 147.12.

Sharjah Pitch Report and Weather

In last year’s IPL and World Cup, Sharjah had the slowest pitches out of the three UAE grounds. The average first innings score in 21 T20s in 2021 was 143.85, with the chasing team winning 11 times. Interestingly, the team batting first won the last six matches in the 2021 World Cup.

Very hot temperatures are forecast, which will be the case for the entire Asia Cup.

ALSO READ: 4 predictions for Asia Cup 2022

BAN vs AFG Dream11 Prediction 30 August 2022

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base Team:

• Wicket-Keepers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz
• Batsmen: Najibullah Zadran
• All-Rounders: Mohammad Nabi, Shakib Al Hasan
• Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mustafizur Rahman

Asia Cup 2022 Match 3: BAN vs AFG Match Prediction – who will win?

Sharjah doesn’t always favour the chasing team like Dubai usually does. Afghanistan, with their good recent form, look good for a win.