The Bangladesh twenty20 team will be seeking to make a strong comeback during the bilateral series against Afghanistan after a dismal T20 World Cup 2021 and Pakistan series. Bangladesh have lost their previous eight matches and haven’t played a T20I series since November of last year. Except for Tamim Iqbal, senior players have returned to the T20I setup, while Afghanistan have dropped some of its regular T20 players for the series. The first match preview of the BAN vs AFG T20I series 2022 is discussed in this article.
First Match Preview of BAN vs AFG T20I Series 2022
Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad wants a brave effort from his team now that experienced players have returned to the squad. Oppositely, Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi will rely primarily on his star players in the absence of some experienced members. The match will begin at 3 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time) on Thursday.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s last two T20 series were a complete disaster that no one wants to remember. The T20 team needs a fresh start with some strong performances from its players. The most crucial thing is that they require consistent performances from its top order.
The openers have struggled to make an impression on an international stage. Mohammad Naim has tried to fill Tamim’s role but his strike rotation has been poor and ineffective on most occasions. Munim Shahriar received his first call-up, he had a good season in the BPL 2022. Munim’s performance wowed everyone and he may make his international debut in the first match.
Yasir Ali and Afif Hossain will need to prove that they are improving as players in the middle order, especially while facing Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Mustafiz’s cutter, Taskin’s pace, and Nasum’s spin should be excellent against Afghanistan batters. Besides, senior members will have to deal with issues sensibly when necessary.
Predicted playing XI
Top Order: Liton Das, Munim Shahriar, Shakib Al Hasan;
Middle-Orders: Mushfiqur Rahim (wicket-keeper), Mahmudullah Riyad (captain), Yasir Ali, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan;
Lower-Order: Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Nasum Ahmed.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s main concern would be the absence of several of its experienced players, as well as the performance of the newcomers against a difficult Bangladeshi team. Captain Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, and Najibullah Zadran will be responsible for the bulk of the responsibilities.
Afghanistan’s bowling unit is quite strong, and there is little doubt that their bowling is among the best in the game’s shortest format. That’s why Afghanistan will feel more at ease defending against Bangladesh than chasing.
Fazalhaq Farooqi has been a revolution for Afghanistan since the Bangladesh tour. He will be in charge of the Afghan pace attack. Besides, Mujeeb, Nabi, and Rashid will cause a lot of problems for Bangladesh batters.
Afghanistan require a strong start from the openers in the batting order, particularly from Hazratullah Zazai. Najibullah and Nabi in the middle order will have to take the team to victory.
Predicted Playing XI
Top Order: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicket-Keeper), Hazratullah Zazai, Darwish Rasooli, Middle Orders: Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Lower Order: Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Pitch Report and Weather
According to forecasts on Thursday, the match will be played on a sunny day, ideal for a T20 encounter. SBNCS in Mirpur pitches assist spinners, and wickets are usually kept the same for T20 matches. The BPL 2022 later phases saw some high-scoring encounters. Therefore, the series may feature batting-friendly pitches.
Bottom Line
Winning the ODI series against Afghanistan was expected from the Bangladesh team and they deservedly won the contest by a 2-1 margin. However, Afghanistan have always been a fantastic twenty20 side and Bangladesh will find it difficult to win this T20I series even without some experienced Afghan players. Bangladesh campaign expects good performance from the team after the comeback of seasoned cricketers such as Shakib and Mushfiqur. The hosts can win the BAN vs AFG T20I series 2022 by winning both matches if they map out a proper plan to limit their opponents.
Source: United News of Bangladesh