INDIA VS. AFGHANISTAN: T20 WORLD CUP 2021, MATCH 33 | PREDICTION and FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
India will take on Afghanistan in Match 33 of the 2021 T20 World Cup at Abu Dhabi on Wednesday evening.
India have gone from being title favorites to the brink of an early exit from the tournament in just two matches. The batting unit failed to perform against the quality bowling attacks of Pakistan and New Zealand, which resulted in two massive defeats by 10 wickets and 8 wickets respectively. The team must win their remaining three matches to have an outside chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.
On the other hand, Afghanistan team looks like an in-form team and a strong unit on paper. They have won 2 out of their 3 games and are currently 2nd in the Group 2 standings. The team is familiar with the UAE conditions as it has played many of its home matches here for the past decade, and they will be hopeful of a positive result in this match.
Match Details
- Game: India vs. Afghanistan, Match 33
- Venue: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
- Date & Time: Nov. 3, 2021, at 7:30 PM IST/6 PM Local
Probable Playing 11
India
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (C), Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
Afghanistan
Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (WK), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (C), Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Hamid Hassan
Weather Report
The weather in Abu Dhabi is predicted to be hot and humid, with the temperature expected to be around 30 degrees during the match.
Pitch Report
Out of the three venues, the Abu Dhabi wicket is perhaps the best batting surface. It is a well-balanced pitch with help for both pacers and spinners. However, batters need to be watchful of the early assistance for pacers. Spinners will also enjoy bowling in these conditions. The average first-innings score in the last six T20Is played here has been 131 runs.
Teams chasing have won 6 of the 8 matches played here during this T20 World Cup as the pitch tends to get a little better to bat on as the evening progresses. That being said, a first-innings score of around 170 runs can be a competitive one here.
Top Fantasy Picks
Wicketkeeper
- Rishabh Pant is known for his aggressive hitting in the T20 format of the game and can give the innings good momentum in the final overs. He batted well for his 39 runs against Pakistan, but was dismissed for a low score against New Zealand. Expect a quick-fire knock from him here.
Batters
- KL Rahul has not been able to replicate his Indian T20 League form in this tournament. After consecutive failures with the bat against Pakistan and New Zealand, he will be looking for a big score against Afghanistan here. He has scored 1578 runs in 51 T20I matches at an average of 38.48 and a strike rate of 141.01, including 2 centuries.
- Najibullah Zadran is a dangerous hard-hitting middle-order batter for Afghanistan. He bats with aggression and clears the long boundaries with a lot of ease. He has scored 88 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 133.33 and has a high score of 59 runs against Scotland.
All-rounder
- Gulbadin Naib can be a key bowler in the middle overs on a helpful Abu Dhabi surface here. He has performed well in the last two matches, scoring 36 runs and picking up 2 wickets. Expect him to continue his good form against India here.
Bowlers
- Jasprit Bumrah is the only Indian bowler to pick up wickets for India in this T20 World Cup so far. He was the only positive against New Zealand, taking 2 wickets for 18 runs in his 4 overs. With the team struggling for form with the ball in the tournament, expect him to lead the attack in this match.
- Rashid Khan has been in excellent form with the ball for Afghanistan in this World Cup. He is hard to pick at times and is a genuine wicket-taking threat. He has taken 7 wickets in three matches at an average of 7 and an economy rate of just 4.74.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeepers: R Gurbaz, R Pant
- Batters: KL Rahul, R Sharma, H Zazai, N Zadran
- All-rounders: G Naib
- Bowlers: J Bumrah, S Thakur, R Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq
- Captain: J Bumrah/S Thakur
- Vice Captain: R Khan/N Zadran
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your own fantasy 11, and play all the fantasy cricket matches from the T20 World Cup. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!
