Afghanistan vs Ireland, 2020: 2nd T20I, Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details

The 2nd T20I of the three-match series between Afghanistan and Ireland will be played at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground in Greater Noida.

The match starts at 2:00 PM local time & IST (8:30 AM GMT). Live streaming will be available on Fancode.

Preview for Dream11 Fantasy

The T20I series between hosts Afghanistan and Ireland moves to the second game with the visitors needing to win to stay alive in the three-match series. The first game of the three-match rubber turned out to be a rain-marred encounter with Afghanistan edging past the Irish by 11 runs on the back of the DLS method.

Afghanistan was set a stiff target of 173 thanks to the Irish top-order-led by skipper Paul Stirling, who racked up a whirlwind 60 off 41 deliveries. At one stage, when Andrew Balbirnie (29) and Harry Tector (29) were batting, it looked like Ireland would get something in excess of 190 but a flurry of wickets courtesy Rashid Khan (3-22) in the end meant they finished with 172.

Hazratullah Zazai (23 off 15 balls) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (28 off 13 balls) provided a blistering start to the home side as they piled on 54 runs in a mere 4.3 overs. But a flurry of wickets- four in a space of 16 runs- threatened to peg the Afghans back. But a whirlwind 42 off 21 deliveries from Najibullah Zadran ensured that by the time rain came in, Afghanistan was well ahead of the DLS par score.

Weather Condition/Report

Overcast conditions are set to be the order of the day in Greater Noida on Sunday if the weather reports on AccuWeather are to be believed. The temperature is set to fluctuate between 14-25 degrees Celsius while the humidity is set to hover around 71%. Chances of rain- 10℅

Pitch Condition/Report

With the pitch having taken so much of rain in the past 24 hours, early moisture could make batting a bit difficult. Also, as the game wears on, the track might get sluggish and the shot-making may turn out to be an arduous task.

Average first innings score: 172 (In the last T20I played at the venue)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 1, Lost – 0

Injury and Availability News

To be updated.

Probable Playing XIs

Afghanistan

Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Karim Janat, Asghar Afghan (C), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shenwari, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Shapoor Zadran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Bench: Qais Ahmad, Usman Ghani, Azmatullah Omarzai, Naveen ul Haq

Ireland

Paul Stirling, Kevin O’Brien, Andrew Balbirnie (C), Gareth Delany, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (WK), Simi Singh, George Dockrell, Boyd Rankin, Craig Young, Joshua Little

Bench: Barry McCarthy, Shane Getkate, Stephen Doheny

Top Picks

Afghanistan: The opening duo of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai will once again be the key to Afghanistan’s fortunes while Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi and Samiullah Shinwari will spearhead the middle-order.

As usual, Rashid Khan, who claimed a three-wicket-haul in the last game, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi will lead the bowling unit.

Ireland: The Irish will once again bank on their top-order to do the bulk of the scoring. Barring skipper Paul Stirling, who racked up a 41-ball 60, none of their batters in Andrew Balbirnie (29), Kevin O’Brien (35) and Harry Tector (29) could convert their start into a substantial knock, something they’ll hope, isn’t the case on Sunday.

Simi Singh (2-18) and Boyd Rankin (1-44) were the only ones among the wickets in the last game and the visitors will hope that the likes of Joshua Little and George Dockrell come to the party in what is a do-or-die encounter for them.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection

Captain – Rashid Khan, Paul Stirling, Mohammad Nabi, Kevin O’Brien

Vice-Captain – Andrew Balbirnie, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Fantasy Cricket

Keeper – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (VC), Lorcan Tucker

Batsmen –  Hazratullah Zazai, Paul Stirling (C), Najibullah Zadran, Andrew Balbirnie

All-Rounders- Gareth Delany, Mohammad Nabi

Bowlers- Rashid Khan, Joshua Little, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Fantasy Cricket

Keeper – Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Batsmen –  Hazratullah Zazai, Kevin O’Brien (VC), Paul Stirling, Najibullah Zadran, Andrew Balbirnie

All-Rounders- Simi Singh, Samiullah Shenwari

Bowlers- Rashid Khan (C), Boyd Rankin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Expert Advice

If you are looking to choose more batters from Ireland, then do not look past their top-order in Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie and Kevin O’Brien.

From the Afganistan side of things, picking the likes of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi could be a good punt, considering they can perform both roles with equal disdain.

Probable Winners

Afghanistan is expected to come out as winners.

Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.