Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will clash in the 2nd fixture of the 3-match T20I series on Sunday (June 12) at Harare Sports Club.
In the 1st fixture of the series, Zimbabwe opted to bat first. They had a fine start, with Wesley Madhevere and Regis Chakabva contributing 32 and 29, respectively. Then, Sikandar Raza continued his form by hitting 45 off 31, with three fours and two sixes, propelling the team to post 159 on the board. Nijat Masood was the pick of the bowler with three scalps.
In reply, the Afghanistan openers were impressive to score over 80 runs in 10 overs. Hazratullah Zazai hit 45 off 26 while smashing eight boundaries. The wicket-keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit 33 off 36. After their dismissals, Najibullah Zadran (44*) and captain Mohammad Nabi (15*) took the team home with four balls to spare. The all-rounder Ryan Burl finished with figures of 3/14.
The home team needs fighting performances from the bowlers like Blessing Muzarabani and Luke Jongwe to save the series. On the batting front, Craig Ervine and Milton Shumba are the key players if Zimbabwe needs to post a strong total on the board.
On the other hand, Afghanistan have been clinical with their performances in both departments of the game. The key players for the team will be Hazratullah Zazai and Rashid Khan, who have a good track record and current form in the T20Is. They are expected to feature in this game with the same set of players.
Match Details:
Match: Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan, 2nd T20I
Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare
Date & Time: June 12 at 4:30 PM IST
Live Streaming: Zimbabwe Cricket Youtube Channel
Pitch Report: It is a batting-friendly surface at Harare, and a total of 160 will be the par score on this venue. Historically, the spinners have picked up most wickets on this ground. The team chasing down the score has won the last three games in this series.
Head-To-Head:
Zimbabwe and Afghanistan have locked horns against each other on 13 occasions in the shortest format of the game. The Afghanistan team has dominated with 12 wins under their belt. The last series witnessed them emerging victorious by 3-0.
Squads:
Zimbabwe: Wesley Madhevere, Innocent Kaia, Craig Ervine (c), Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Regis Chakabva (wk), Ryan Burl, Luke Jongwe, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani, Clive Madande, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers, Donald Tiripano
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Ghani, Darwish Rasooli, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nijat Masood, Ihsanullah Janat, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Noor Ahmad, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Afsar Zazai
Probable Playing XI:
Zimbabwe: Wesley Madhevere, Innocent Kaia, Craig Ervine (c), Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Regis Chakabva (wk), Ryan Burl, Luke Jongwe, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Ghani, Darwish Rasooli, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nijat Masood
CREX XI Suggestion:
Wicket-Keeper: Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Batters: Craig Ervine, Najibullah Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai
All-Rounders: Sikandar Raza, Wesley Madhevere, Mohammad Nabi, Ryan Burl
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Luke Jongwe, Nijat Masood
Captain: Hazratullah Zazai
Vice-Captain: Sikandar Raza