Betting Tips

As we reach the knockout stages in the ongoing T20 World Cup, Afghanistan will face off against South Africa in Semi-final 1 on Wednesday at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. The winner of this match will face either India or England in the finals.

While South Africa has reached a semi-final of a T20 World Cup before, this is the first time Afghanistan has reached this stage. Neither team has been to a Final, though, and has everything to play for. 

Afghanistan vs South Africa  Head-to-Head Record

The two teams have faced each other in 2 matches so far, and both of them were won by South Africa.

Afghanistan vs South Africa Live-Streaming and Broadcast

This match will be live-streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar App or can be watched live on the Star Sports Network. 

RSA vs AFG  Team Previews

South Africa

Other than India, South Africa is the only team that has yet to be defeated in this competition. However, not all their wins have been convincing as they barely scraped through in a couple of matches.

Winning close matches has not been something that South Africa has been associated with but this T20 World Cup seems to be different!

Quinton de Kock has performed well at the top of the order and is also the leading run-scorer for the team. His role in getting the team off to a flyer will be crucial. His opening partner Reeza Hendricks has struggled to get going at the other end and can be a weak link.

That said, the Proteas have plenty of big hitters in the middle order, including David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, and Tristan Stubbs, all of whom can play a big knock on their day. All of them are also excellent against spin, something that they will be tested against relentlessly in this match.

On pure six hitting prowess, South Africa is miles ahead of Afghanistan. It is all about executing these skills under pressure for the Proteas now.

South Africa also boasts of a versatile bowling unit. Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada have bowled well in tandem, picking up 21 wickets between them. Tabraiz Shamsi is in excellent form as well, picking up 8 wickets in just 3 matches. 

Add Keshav Maharaj and Ottneil Baartman to this group and you can see just why the beeting sites have South Africa as clear favorites. They are superior than Afghanistan in all aspects but that advantage becomes a lot lesser on spin-friendly surfaces.

South Africa Expected Playing 11

Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been enjoying a dream run in this tournament. After defeating heavyweights like New Zealand and Australia, the team went through Bangladesh on Monday to secure a historic spot in the semifinals.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are in brilliant form with the bat and are the most successful opening pair of this tournament. Gurbaz is also the leading run-scorer. However, their excellent batting has left the middle order untested.

This is something that South Africa will be well aware of and look to exploit.

Afghanistan has some quality all-rounders like Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, and Azmatullah Omarzai, they haven’t contributed much with the bat. Rashid Khan has been very handy with the bat with some lusty hits down the order.

If Afghanistan loses a few early wickets, we think it is going to struggle to compete.

The bowling has been brilliant from the team. Fazalhaq Farooqi is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 16 wickets and has received excellent support from Naveen Ul-Haq and Gulbadin Naib. Rashid Khan is indomitable as ever and has picked up 14 wickets as well. 

With plenty of other options like Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, and Noor Ahmed, Afghanistan has to see its bowling attack as a match winning one. 

It took everything for Afghanistan to get to the semi-finals and it absolutely deserves its place here. Carrying that momentum with them against a strong side like South Africa just seems like a task too much for them, though. 

Afghanistan  Expected Playing 11

RSA vs AFG Toss Prediction

The team winning the toss will likely opt to bat first. This should be seen as being a big advantage as the pitch will definitely take turn later in the inning. 

Pitch and Conditions

The Brian Lara Stadium hasn’t been the easiest venue for the batsmen and has hosted quite a few low-scoring encounters in this tournament.

The average first-inning score in the last 4 matches is under 100.

The surface is a bit dry and there isn’t much green grass. The ball will grip and the spinners can expect help throughout the match. The batsmen will have to settle down before they can play the big shots. Anything over 160 will be challenging to chase.

The weather is likely to be overcast and we can expect some drizzles throughout the day.

RSA vs AFG Betting Tips

Both teams have been excellent in their own way and we can expect an engaging contest. We feel that South Africa has an edge here thanks to plenty of depth in the batting unit and a balanced bowling line-up.

Bet on South Africa to win.