Afghanistan will be taking on Zimbabwe in the ninth match of the qualifying round of the ICC World T20 being held in India. With both teams having won their first two matches, it makes this the all important encounter, with the winner topping the group and ensuring their qualification to the next round. Both teams have put forward notable performances in the tournament till now and would be desperate to qualify for the next round.
Both the teams have been in good form, with Zimbabwe registering 14 run and 11 run wins. Afghanistan have been good too, registering 14run and 6 wicket wins. That leaves the match even more evenly poised as there has been little to choose from given the performances of the two teams in the tournament so far.
Zimbabwe has put up a display of all round performances with almost all their players pitching in. Sibanda, Chigumbara, Waller, Masakadza, Williams and Mutumbami all have been amongst the runs, with Williams being their top scorer so far. The bowling department has looked good too, with Tiripano, Chatara, Masakadza, Raza, Panyangara and Williams, all having picked up wickets, with Masakadza having most number of scalps to him name. With all the players pitching in, Zimbabwe does seem a well balanced side and their collective effort has been the reason behind their good run in the tournament so far.
If Zimbabwe has impressed in the tournament so far, Afghanistan has bettered them by domination the Hong Kong team and registering a 6 wicket win with 12 balls to spare. Their batting looks really good too with Shahzad, Noor Ali Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Stanikzai, Naib, Shafiqullah and Mohammad Nabi all being amongst the runs. Shahzad has been their top scorer, scoring 102 runs in his two innings, and he has impressed hugely so far. Their bowling has done well with Nabi, Rashid Khan, Naib, and Shenwari all having picked up wickets. Mohammad Nabi has picked up most wickets, and he has been their standout player so far, doing well both with the bat and the ball. The lack of wickets for Humza, Zadran and Hassan for the Afghanistan could be a reason to worry.
Overall, both the teams have played well in the tournament so far, and they would be eager to carry on their good work. Since it boils down to this final tie, both teams will surely give their all and everything said and done, we are ensured of a good game of cricket.
