ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Afghanistan will take over Papua New Guinea and it will be a chance for Afghanistan to secure their place in Super8. As South Africa, Australia, West Indies, and India have secured their place it will be a great chance for Afghanistan to create history. Considering the current form Afghanistan looks very dangerous and can defeat strong teams too.
Papua New Guinea is playing their second T20 World Cup but didn’t rise to the occasion that much but they have a good chance to spoil the party of Afghanistan or stop them from qualifying. Would it be possible for Papua New Guinea to defeat Afghanistan and create history?
Journey till now: Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea
Afghanistan is unbeaten and will keep their winning momentum while facing Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan is currently the strongest team ever seen in the World Cup thrashing New Zealand and Uganda by big margins so it will be difficult for Papua New Guinea. Rahmanullah Gurbaaz is the X factor for Afghanistan so he is the player to watch out for. Skipper Rashid Khan has shown his class so he will be even more dangerous, Mohammed Nabi will also bring his pedigree and so he too will be on the radar for batters. Fazalhaq Farooqui is in a carrier great form so he is unstoppable and also he is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.
Papua New Guinea needed to charge themselves as they had almost pulled a heist against the West Indies but fell short and next to Uganda they were completely out of form so they were lacking in many departments. Still, fortunes can turn anytime as Papua New Guinea has nothing to lose but they have a chance to spoil mighty Afghanistan’s party.
Head-to-Head: Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea
Afghanistan leads by 1-0 as they had only one match between them in 2015 after that no matches have been played between them.
Stats:
- Sese Bau needs 54 runs to become the fourth from PNG to a 1000 mark in T20Is.
- No opening pair has added more runs than Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz in T20Is in 2024.
- Among those who have bowled at least 50 overs in T20Is since January 2023, Rashid Khan and John Kariko are the second- and the fifth-most economical bowlers.
Match-ups:
Over the last two years, Ibrahim Zadran’s consistent performances saw him cement his place at the top of the batting order across formats. He has turned out to be the perfect foil for Gurbaz, improving his range of shots as well as his T20I strike rate (117.91 in 2024, up from 102.91 in 2023). That has meant the scoreboard did not come to a halt when Gurbaz wasn’t on strike. He finished the Qosh Tepa National T20 Cup, Afghanistan’s domestic competition, as the leading run-scorer, and has carried his form into the World Cup.
Seamer Norman Vanua is PNG’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is. The team felt his absence in the opening game of the tournament. But he made a successful return against Uganda, his 2 for 19 keeping the side in the contest. With PNG harbouring hopes of their maiden win in the competition, all eyes will be yet again on Vanua.
Playing XI:
Pitch Report:
The surface in Tarouba played true to its sluggish nature during the game between West Indies and New Zealand. Because of rain in the lead-up to the match, some deliveries from good-length area outside off stump kept alarmingly low, and it was not easy to hit through the line. With the forecast for rain for Friday’s game, expect the pitch to become drier and aid more spin. The captain winning the toss is likely to bowl first because of the dew around.
Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2024: 3 Key Reasons For Afghanistan’s Triumph Against New Zealand