Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan, 5th T20I, Bangladesh Tri-Series 2019: Match Prediction, Preview & Probable XIs

Deadline: September 20, 2019 at 6 PM IST

Venue: Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram

Pitch report

Over 300 runs were scored and 17 wickets fell in the last match. There aren’t many T20I pitches like the one at Chattogram.

Weather forecast

This section of the match preview may not excite you. Rain is likely to put a dampener on your Friday plans, with precipitation reading 50%.

Teams

Probable XI for Zimbabwe: Brendan Taylor (wk), Hamilton Masakadza (c), Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Ryan Burl, Richmond Mutumbami, Neville Madziva, Kyle Jarvis, Ainsley Ndlovu, Chris Mpofu

Probable XI for Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Najeeb Tarakai, Asghar Afghan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karin Kanat, Rashid Khan (c), Fareed Malik, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

NOTE: Pick your fantasy cricket team wisely

Fantasy team

We have opted for a fantasy team on the basis of players’ impact, recent performances, and credit points. 

You can also check players’ performances in the last 5 matches. Tap on the players’ names to get the data while making your fantasy team.

My 11: Brendan Taylor (wk), Najibullah Zadran, Richmond Mutumbami, Hamilton Masakadza, Hazratullah Zazai, Ryan Burl, Sean Williams, Mohammad Nabi (c), Kyle Jarvis, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan (vc)

Players to watch out for

Afghanistan were stuttering at 40 for 4 against Bangladesh. Mohammad Saifuddin, with the help of Shakib Al Hasan, had Afghanistan’s batting line-up on the hinges. It, in fact, is a setup Mohammad Nabi looks forward to. If anything, he thrives under pressure. Along with Asghar Afghan, he added 79 runs for the fifth wicket and brought Afghanistan back in the game. Eventually he remained unbeaten on 84 of 54 including 3 fours and 7 sixes and took Afghanistan to a competitive total of 164 for 6. To put things into perspective, this was not the first time the experienced duo rescued Afghanistan.

For Zimbabwe, Ryan Burl has been their top player. He has scored 83 runs with an impressive strike rate of 138.3 and taken 2 wickets at a crucial juncture.

Kyle Jarvis may have conceded runs at an unreasonable rate, but it is his ability to bowl variety of deliveries that has put him at No. 2 in the list of highest wicket-takers of the series. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, and Fareed Ahmed follow him with a wicket fewer.

Match prediction

Bangladesh and Afghanistan have already qualified for the final, meaning Zimbabwe have nothing but pride to play for. Given the current momentum, they are unlikely to end the series on a high.

Squads

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Najeeb Tarakai, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Shafiqullah Shafiq(w), Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan(c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Dawlat Zadran, Karim Janat, Fareed Malik, Fazal Niazai, Shahidullah Kamal, Naveen-ul-Haq, Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Zimbabwe: Brendan Taylor (wk), Hamilton Masakadza (c), Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Ryan Burl, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Tony Munyonga, Kyle Jarvis, Neville Madziva, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Ainsley Ndlovu, Richmond Mutumbami, Regis Chakabva

Also, get to know the tips & tricks on how to play fantasy cricket