NZ vs AFG Match Preview
The openers for New Zealand, Finn Allen and Conway have been in good form of late, providing solid starts. While Kane Williamson’s form remains a concern, Glenn Phillips and Jimmy Neesham have made up for their captain’s shortcomings, and have often steered their team out of tricky situations.
Tim Southee and Trent Boult picked 5 wickets between them in the game against Australia and will enjoy bowling at the MCG. Ish Sodhi is the leading wicket-taker for New Zealand this year. He, along with Santner, could end up causing a lot of problems for the Afghan batsmen.
Afghanistan middle-order batsmen, particularly Najibullah, have played well of late. However, the openers have lacked consistency. They are likely to struggle against the New Zealand fast bowlers at the bouncy pitch of the MCG. Fazalhaq Farooqi has been good with the new ball, but much will depend on how much can Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman extract from the flat pitch in Melbourne.
Ibrahim Zadran is one of the few batsmen that can be counted on to play consistently.
Weather Report
The skies are likely to remain overcast, and we may even see some showers, leading to a shortened match. If the DLS does come into play, it will most likely tilt the balance in favor of the team batting second.
Pitch Report
A look at the past data shows that the pitch at the MCG gets easier to bat on as the game progresses. Hence, the team winning the toss is likely to bowl first.
Notable stats
Glenn Phillips in great form
Glenn Phillips has had an excellent year so far, scoring 461 runs from 13 innings at an average of 46.1, and a strike rate of 152.6.
Fazalhaq Farooqi has a good bowling record this year
Farooqi has picked up 18 wickets from 14 games, at an average of 19.61, and an economy of just over 6.5.
Team News
There are no reports of any major injuries in either of the squad.
NZ vs AFG Probable 11
NZ Playing 11
- Finn Allen
- Devon Conway (Wk)
- Kane Williamson (C)
- Glenn Phillips
- Jimmy Neesham
- Mark Chapman
- Mitchell Santner
- Tim Southee
- Ish Sodhi
- Lockie Ferguson
- Trent Boult
AFG Playing 11
- Hazratullah Zazai
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wk)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Usman Ghani
- Najibullah Zadran
- Mohammad Nabi (C)
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Rashid Khan
- Mujeeb ur Rahman
- Fareed Ahmed
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing New Zealand to win this game. The New Zealand squad, especially the batsmen, have been in great form. They are better adapted to play on the bouncy pitches of Australia. Also, the Afghan batsmen are likely to have a hard time negotiating with the New Zealand seamers.
Top Picks
Devon Conway: Conway was instrumental in providing a good start to his team in the match against Australia. He has an incredible average of 71.83 in 9 innings and is the second-highest run-scorer for his team this year.
Ish Sodhi: Sodhi recently crossed the 100-wicket mark in T20 internationals, becoming the first spinner from outside Asia to do so. He is the leading wicket-taker for New Zealand this year and is likely to play an important role in this game.
Rashid Khan: Ranked no. 2 in the ICC rankings for T20 bowlers, Rashid Khan is undoubtedly one of the best spinners in the world today. He has plenty of experience playing in Australia, thanks to his stint with the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL.
NZ vs AFG Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: D Conway (C), F Allen
Batters: Najibullah-Zadran, G Phillips, I Zadran
All-rounders: M Nabi, J Neesham, M Santner
Bowlers: T Boult (VC), L Ferguson, Mjeeb ur Rahman
