Afghanistan and New Zealand will feature in a crucial Group 2 fixture on Sunday in Abu Dhabi. This is the last league game for these two teams. The result of the match will more or less decide the second qualifying team from this group along with Pakistan.
If New Zealand win this game, they will go through to the semi-finals with eight points. An Afghanistan triumph, on the other hand, will bring both India and Afghanistan in the scheme of things, depending on whether India beat Namibia in the last game. In such circumstances the net run rate will be the deciding factor.
Spin has dominating afternoon games in Abu Dhabi so far, and Afghanistan have quite a few of them in their line-up. However, their premier slow bowler Mujeeb Ur Rahman missed the last two games with an injury. Less than 24 hours before the match, his teammate Hashmatullah Shahidi was not sure of the spinner's recovery.
For Afghanistan, the primary challenge will be to score around 150-160 against a versatile New Zealand attack. Their batters have not been consistent in this tournament. Hence, ideally, Mohammad Nabi will want to bat first and put a decent target. And for that, they have to play out the first spells of Trent Boult and Tim Southee without much damage.
Of course, the New Zealand spinners – Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner – have done exceptionally well in the middle overs. Not only have they restricted the run-scoring, but have taken important breakthroughs as well.
Against a spin-dependent Afghan attack, they will heavily depend on their top three – Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson. In the last match against Namibia, middle-order batters like Glenn Phillips and Jimmy Neesham bailed them out by scoring 67 off the last four overs.
So, if the Afghan bowlers take wickets up-front, they should not loss the grip and intensity.
Likely XIs
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult
Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq
Fantasy tips
- To play out the spinners of Afghanistan, Williamson is New Zealand's best bet. Expect him to bat with a go big in this must-win encounter.
- Both teams have quality spinners. So, do pick your strike-bowlers quite carefully.
- With a number of all-rounders playing significant roles for their respective teams, do try to accommodate as many of them as possible.
Fantasy XI
Devon Conway (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, James Neesham, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman