*BANGLADESH VS AFGHANISTAN 2nd T20I IN A 2 MATCH T20I SERIES 2023 PREVIEW*
*THE BUILD UP:*
They are the tigers after all, they hunt in a pack and they gel along quite nicely. They oppose their enemies and pounce on them when they start to get too much on their nose. This has been the story of Bangladesh for so long and in afraid the trend will continue. They were clinical even according to the critics but for those who observe the game closely, they were just saved. The experience campaigners mixed with some rookies rose to the occasion and amidst a last over hat-trick. Shoriful Islam and Towhid Hridoy punching the air in delight drove their sight to a win.
What worked out well for Bangladesh is the fact that they dismissed the Afghani top order for cheap scores and Shakib, the skipper, chipped in with a two-fer and displayed his invaluable importance to this setup. The cameo of Towhid, who came in with an impact full 47, was delightful and came out of nowhere but much to the happiness of the tigers, they now lead 1-0 with only one game remaining.
The Rashid led unit does not have to start a panic wave around their camp largely because of how enthralling a contest this was. Mohammad Nabi with his wealth of experience in this format was once again the savior, putting pressure on the hosts with a 54 comprising of a 6 and six boundaries in the process. Both Rashid and Mujib were at their economical best and like always, are very miser when it comes to spinning the white cherry in their hand. The three wicket haul that went in favor of Kareem Janat came in the form of a disguise but was most welcome and the Asian side would hope that he has more left in his treasure as the Afghanis would look to end the series on a high.
*BAN PROBABLE XI*
Rony Talukdar, Litton Das (WK), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (C), Towhid Hridoy, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman.
Litton Das, the attacking opener, has not enjoyed good form lately and would be searching for an opening from where he can pick up his T20 world cup form. The pitches at home have been difficult but someone of his caliber should have seen through all bowling attacks. His 18 of 19 balls under a strike rate of 100 does not justify his place and he'd be eyeing a comeback in what will be the last game that Bangladesh play against Afghanistan for a while.
Taskin Ahmed and Mustafiz Rehman are underrated gems in this bowling lineup who operate very smartly amidst the powerful spin operating duos who strike in tandem. Both were decent with their bets last game and we could see some thrills even later in the day. I'm personally interested in how Taskin is going to match up to the skill set of Gurbaz upfront.
*AFGHANISTAN PROBABLE XI*
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (C), Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad.
Afghanis bowled with freedom and with an open heart. The ball was wet and the ground was moist yet they broke all odds and defied the unobvious. They took the game till the very end and the fact that Janat even notched up a hat-trick to ignite the sensation that this game was, speaks enough of the fight that this Rashid led team have to offer. The skipper never disappoints and his ace spin bowling partner, Mujib bluffs up the opposition in no time. If these two workout their magic again, in an even bigger proportion, then we can hope against hope that the BCB would be kind enough to schedule another game. Rehmatullah Gurbaz, who bullied Bangladesh in the opener of the ODI series, has been relatively quiet post that mammoth knock and in a game where the stakes are high and the series is on the line, we have seen prodigies, like the young man himself kick some trash and get up like a champion with veins of tungsten.
*MY PREDICTION :*
*FOR BAN :*
Highest run getter- Shakib Al Hasan/ Litton Das
Highest wicket taker- Mustafiz Rehman/ Shakib Al Hasan
*FOR AFGH :*
Highest run getter- Rehmatullah Gurbaz/ Mohammad Nabi
Highest wicket taker- Rashid Khan/ Mujib Ur Rehman
*FOR THE GAME*
Afghanistan to bounce back and level the series.