Afghanistan vs Ireland, 2020: 3rd T20I, Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The 3rd 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 Fan code.

Preview for Dream11 Fantasy

After taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, hosts Afghanistan will be looking to make it a clean-sweep at the expense of the Irish when they lock horns with Ireland in the third and final T20I on Tuesday. It has been a dominant performance by the hosts thus far. After having chased down a total in the first match (via DLS), the Afghans backed it up with another imperious performance in the second game where they successfully defended 184.

The win was set up by their batsmen led by skipper Asghar Afghan’s whirlwind 28-ball 49 and able contributions from Hazratullah Zazai (28), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35) and Mohammad Nabi (27) that helped them post a total of 4-184.

Chasing 185, Ireland needed one of their top-order batsmen to convert their starts into a substantial knock but as was the case in the first game, a plethora of batsmen including skipper Andrew Balbirnie (46) and Harry Tector (37) squandered their starts as Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s 3-38 consigned them to a 21-run defeat.

Weather Condition/Report

Bright spells of sunshine are set to be the order of the day in Greater Noida on Tuesday. According to the report, the temperature is set to fluctuate between 14 and 25 degrees Celsius while the humidity is set to hover around 56%. Chances of rain- 10℅.

Pitch Condition/Report:

Another placid track is expected at the Greater Noida Sports Complex on Tuesday. While the batsman will get full value for their shots, the pitch might get slow in the second half and the likes of Mujeeb, Rashid might come into play.

Average first innings score: 178 (In the 2 T20Is played at the venue)

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

Injury and Availability News

(Will be shared when there’s an update)

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/Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

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

Ireland

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

Bench: Barry McCarthy/George Dockrell, Shane Getkate/Joshua Little, Stephen Doheny

Top Picks: 

Afghanistan: Each of the Afghanistan batsmen has got off to starts in the past two games. While the likes of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratuallah Zazai has provided prudent starts at the top, the middle-order batters in the form of Najibullah Zadran, Asghar Afghan has chipped in with handy knocks at the death.

Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have claimed four wickets apiece in the past two games and they, along with Nabi will once again lead the bowling unit.

Ireland: It is interesting to note that the top 3 run-getters in the series- Andy Balbirnie (75 runs), Paul Stirling (72 runs) and Harry Tector (66 runs) – are from Ireland, yet the visitors find themselves 0-2 down in the three-match series. That is because each of those aforementioned names has failed to convert those starts into a substantial knock, something they’ll hope isn’t the case on Tuesday.

Ireland’s bowling has been disappointing so far and once again the onus on leading the attack will be on Boyd Rankin and Simi Singh.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Rashid Khan, Paul Stirling, Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Vice-Captain –  Kevin O’Brien, Mohammad Nabi, Andrew Balbirnie

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (C)

Batsmen- Paul Stirling (VC), Hazratullah Zazai, Harry Tector, Ashgar Afghan, Andrew Balbirnie

All-Rounders- Mohammad Nabi, Gareth Delany

Bowlers- Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Boyd Rankin

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Lorcan Tucker

Batsmen- Najibullah Zadran,  Ashgar Afghan, Andrew Balbirnie, Kevin O’Brien (VC)

All-Rounders- Gulbadin Naib, Simi Singh

Bowlers- Rashid Khan (C), Mujeeb ur Rahman, Craig Young

Expert Advice

Afghanistan’s spin-duo of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Rahman have been the key nemesis for the Irish batsmen thus far. Hence, opting for them as captain/vice-captain is worth a punt.

Probable Winners

Afghanistan are expected to win this match.

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.