Betting Tips

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the player of the series against South Africa with 194 runs. He will be targeting another profitable ODI series individually. If he gets going with the bat, Afghanistan will inevitably have the bowling firepower to see the job through. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi need no introduction when it comes to international white-ball cricket. Bangladesh will need their new ball fast bowlers to strike early, otherwise they could face an uphill battle in the middle and death overs.

Bangladesh has a few promising batters still finding their feet internationally so Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad will need to perform at their best. Afghanistan’s familiarity with the surface may put them as favourites.

Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Head-to-Head record

Afghanistan has won two out of the five ODI's it has played against Bangladesh. At the time of this writing, the result of the first ODI of this series has not been decided.

Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Live-Streaming and Broadcast

The vital second ODI of Afghanistan versus Bangladesh will be live streamed on the FanCode App for Indian viewers.

AFG vs BAN Team Previews

Afghanistan

Afghanistan returns to the familiar conditions of Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the hopes of pushing for another ODI series victory.

Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi himself provides stability in the middle-order. Vice-captain Rahmat Shah adds solidity in the top-order and is one of the batters who the powerful ball-strikers can bat around. The aggressive Rahmanullah Gurbaz leads from the front in the powerplay onwards.

Gurbaz is known for his explosive starts, but if he can produce an innings of substance, Afghanistan will definitely post or chase a competitive total.

Afghanistan’s biggest strength is its spin department. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi are two of the most experienced and clever limited-overs spinners in the world. Supporting him will be left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad and young off-spinner Allah Ghazanfar, who will bring the exuberance of youth.

This spin combination will apply constant pressure on the Bangladeshi batters, particularly in the second powerplay. One of the advantages of such a varied spin attack is the ability to pick and choose when to get the ball turning into or away from the batter.

Complementing the strong spinners is a versatile Afghanistan pace battery. The pace-bowling unit is led by left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi. He is a major threat with the swinging new ball. Alongside him, medium-pacers Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai bring a mix of control and varying pace.

Afghanistan’s well-rounded squad and adaptability to conditions make them strong contenders to take the second ODI.

Afghanistan Expected Playing 11

Bangladesh

Bangladesh will continue to persevere in not letting their off-field issues bog them down this ODI series. A series win against their hosts will do them a world of good ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is not only important as the team’s leader in the field, but he is also one of their anchors in the top-order batting. Shanto’s reliability and calmness will be critical in tackling Afghanistan’s world-class spinners.

Soumya Sarkar and Tanzid Hasan are expected to start the innings aggressively in the first ten overs. The opening batting partnership contrasts experience with youth.

In the middle-order, veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim provides both rock solid technique with the ability to up the tempo. Mahmudullah Riyad will be a key finisher in the death overs. Together, they form a strong experienced backbone of the middle-order batting group.

Towhid Hridoy will also have the freedom to pounce on any loose deliveries and up the tempo towards the end of the innings.

Bangladesh’s spin-bowling attack comprises of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, an off-spin bowling all-rounder. He will be supported by the left-arm finger-spin of Nasum Ahmed and leg-spin of Rishad Hossain. Although not of the same calibre compared to the Afghan spinners, the trio will make the most of the turning conditions. The battle of the spin bowlers could be a key factor this game.

The pace-bowling department for Bangladesh includes Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman.
Taskin’s rapid pace plus Mustafizur’s effective slower balls and cutters, make them an effective duo.

Taskin Ahmed is one of their biggest weapons in the powerplay, while Mustafizur Rahman’s variations are valuable during the death overs.

Bangladesh Expected Playing 11

AFG vs BAN Toss Prediction

The toss at Sharjah Cricket Stadium may heavily influence the outcome of the match. Teams generally prefer to bowl first in day/night games. Afghanistan’s potent spin attack might choose to bowl first to control Bangladesh’s batting early. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will want to give their seamers the best conditions to find swing in the powerplay. Dew may be another factor that is typical of matches that go into the night.

Pitch and Conditions

The Sharjah Cricket Stadium pitch, as with most subcontinent pitches, can become dry and dusty. This will work in the favour of the spinners throughout the game. With the heat and humidity, dew could become a factor with the ball starting to feel damper and affecting the pitch. Fielding becomes tougher as the ball feels damper. Bowlers may also struggle to grip the ball at times.

The weather forecast for Sharjah on Saturday shows clear skies with hot temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. There will also be a fair amount of humidity to aid the heat. Rain is not expected to fall with a zero percent chance.

AFG vs BAN Betting Tips

Afghanistan will be heavily reliant on the potency of their spin-bowling lineup, mainly Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi as two of the more experienced bowlers. The batting department has grown tremendously in Afghan limited-overs cricket as they have started to produce more genuinely word-class batters.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz will once again be a key batting figure for the Afghan side. Bangladesh, on the other hand, have had their moments in ODI cricket, but have been somewhat inconsistent in recent times.

They will also be without Shakib Al Hasan again who has shouldered most of the responsibility in the resurgence of Bangladeshi cricket over the past decade or so. Najmul Hossain Shanto is an exciting batting talent, but will be tested in his young captaincy career.

Bet on Afghanistan to win.