Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan, ZIM vs AFG, Today Match Prediction 11 June 2022

zim vs afg Match Prediction & Analysis

Zimbabwe are up against Afghanistan for the first T20I at Harare on 11th June 2022. Recently, Afghanistan kicked off the 3-match ODI series against Zimbabwe at Harare with a staggering 8 wicket win in the first ODI. They were 2-0 into the series as they walked out on the field at Harare Sports Club, eyeing a clean sheet. Winning the toss and choosing to bowl turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Bowling first, Hashmatullah Shahidi used 6 bowlers and not a single bowler who bowled a delivery went empty-handed. They all bagged a wicket including Rashid Khan who was the pick of the bowlers with his 3/31, which rightfully got him the player of the match later. Nonetheless, their magnificent bowling performance cleaned up the hosts for a mere 135. However, Zimbabwe didn't give up without a tough fight as they made it seem like a task. Afghanistan was struggling at 60/4 by the end of the 21st over courtesy of Blessing Muzarabani's two quick wickets. Regardless, it turned out to be momentary happiness for the hosts as Mohammad Nabi ( 34* off 47) & skipper Shahidi ( 38 off 70) set the tone of the chase and helped complete the unforgettable whitewash.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Zimbabwe Preview

Zimbabwe have a lot to learn from the whitewash against their opponents as they get ready for their upcoming challenge in the shorter format of the game. As compared to the batting department, bowling was a huge letdown for the hosts. They gave away runs without any hesitation and found it too difficult to pick up wickets. Blessing Muzarabani was the only one to stand out of the lot with 5 wickets @ 18.80. The rest just couldn't get it right. A big reason to worry when they take on the next challenge.

What worries next for the side is the batting lineup. They managed to get bowled out on all three occasions. Zimbabwe chased once and batted first, twice. On those occasions, they barely took advantage and gave away wickets cheaply. They found it too difficult to even play out the overs. Sikandar Raza, Innocent Kaia and Ryan Burl seemed to be in good touch throughout the series.

Key Players: Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Blessing Muzarabani, Craig Ervine

Zimbabwe Predicted Playing XI:

Innocent Kaia, Regis Chakabva (wk), Craig Ervine (c), Wesley Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Ryan Burl, Donald Tiripano, Tendai Chatara, Tanaka Chivanga, Blessing Muzarabani

Zimbabwe Actual Playing XI:

Ainsley Ndlovu, Craig Ervine, Milton Shumba, Regis Chakabva, Ryan Burl, Innocent Kaia, Wesley Madhevere, Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani, Sikandar Raza, Luke Jongwe

Afghanistan Preview

Afghanistan have done everything right as far as the performance is concerned. They have been magnificent with the ball, especially with Mohammad Nabi grabbing 6 wickets in 3 matches at @10.83. With that whitewash, they move to the second spot of the ICC World Super League, taking over England and trailing right behind table toppers, Bangladesh. It has been an iconic moment for the Afghans. Rashid Khan has been on song with the bowl this T20 season, especially coming from Ipl with 18+ wickets. He bagged the player of the match in the final game of the series for his 3/31.

The stars with the bat have been Rahmat Shah with 182 runs in 2 games and Ibrahim Zadran with 125 runs in 2 games. Ibrahim Zadran played a magnificent knock of 120* off 141 balls in the second ODI. He not only claimed his maiden ODI ton but also got his team over the line with the help of a 195-run gigantic partnership with Rahmat Shah. All-in-all, they've got themselves covered for starters but need to stick to their strengths which will help them have the upper hand in the series opener.

Key players: Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman
 

Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI:

Rahmatullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik

Afghanistan Actual Playing XI:

Karim Janat, Usman Ghani, Hazratullah Zazai, Najibullah Zadran, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Nijat Masood, Rahmanullah Gurbaz

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The temperature is expected to drop from 20 degrees to around 14 degrees as the game progresses. There are zero to no chances of precipitation with fans expecting an excellent game of cricket.

Venue Details

The match will happen at the Harare sports club. The pitch has a lot to offer for both batsmen and bowlers. Spinners were the pick of the bowlers in the series during the middle half and played a crucial role. Pacers might get some help from the surface as the game progresses. Anything near 165/170 is a defending total.

Toss: To Bat

It's a good wicket to bat on and batters need to work hard for their runs. Thus, the team winning the toss should opt to Bat first and use the scoreboard pressure to force errors from the opposition batting lineup.