Preview

Afghanistan and Scotland are set to cross swords in Match No.17 of the T20 World Cup on Monday, October 25 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. The Afghans, led by Mohammad Nabi, started the warmups with a hefty 41-run loss to South Africa after which they defeated the West Indies.

Match details

Match: Afghanistan vs Scotland – Match 17, Super 12 Group 1, ICC Men’s T20 WC 2021

Date: 25th October 2021

Time: 7:30 IST

Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

Pitch Report

The pitch in Sharjah has generally been a bowlers’ paradise. Spinners have mostly dictated terms on the surface. However, Bangladesh’s game against Sri Lanka turned out to be a high-scoring affair. Batting second should be the way forward for both teams.

Weather Report

The venue will greet the players in hot and humid conditions on Monday. The maximum temperature would be 33°C while the humidity would be around 54%.

Afghanistan vs Scotland Playing 11

Afghanistan Predicted Playing 11

Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (C), Asghar Afghan, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq

Scotland Predicted Playing 11

George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer (c), Matthew Cross (wk), Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Josh Davey, Safyaan Sharif, Bradley Wheal

Key Players

Richie Berrington

Richie Berrington has been one of the most prolific run-scorers for Scotland across formats. In 69 T20Is, the right-handed batter has notched 1620 runs at an average of 33.06 and a strike rate of 128.67. He couldn’t score big against Bangladesh, but made impressive comebacks against PNG and Oman. Berrington is someone, who can alter gears as per the match situation.

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has been a prolific run-scorer for Afghanistan ever since he made his debut back in 2015. In 51 T20Is, he has already eked out 95 wickets. His economy rate of 6.21 suggests that he can keep the batters in check. Impeccable line and lengths mean that Rashid has become a globetrotter in the T20 format. Not to forget that Rashid can also play his shots to good effect.

Team News

• Rashid Khan was named as the captain when the team was announced. But later, he decided to relinquish the responsibility as he mentioned he wasn’t consulted while picking the team. Mohammed Nabi would now be the captain of the Afghan team.
• The Kyle Coetzer-led Scotland, on the other hand, are on a three-match winning streak in the tournament. They began their journey with a six-run win over Bangladesh following which they got the better of Oman and PNG.

Afghanistan vs Scotland Match Tips

Scotland have won all three matches they have played thus far and will look to extend their winning run at this World Cup. However, Afghanistan are a strong side and have more quality in their ranks. They are expected to go past the Scottish side with ease.

Today’s match prediction; Afghanistan to win the match.