Match: India vs Afghanistan, Asian Games 2023 final (IND vs AFG)
Date: October 7, Friday, 11.30 AM IST
Venue: Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field, Hangzhou, China.
India and Afghanistan will contest the final of the men’s cricket games at the Asian Games 2023. The match will be played at the Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field on October 7 at 11.30 AM IST. The Indian women’s cricket team won a gold medal at the event last week, and its now time for the men’s team to do the same. Notably, this is the first time the Indian men’s cricket team has participated in the Asian Games.
Led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, India defeated Nepal by 23 runs in their quarter-final match. The show-stopper was Yashasvi Jaiswal, whose century took India to a total of 202 runs in 20 overs. The likes of Gaikwad (25), Shivam Dube (25) and Rinku Singh (37) also contributed to the total significantly. Later in the game, Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi picked up three wickets each to help India defend the target and win the match by 23 runs. In the semi-final, they defeated Bangladesh as the Indian bowlers wreaked havoc. A combined bowling effort helped restrict Bangladesh to a total of just 96 runs, which India chased down in 9.2 overs. Gaikwad and Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 40 and 55 each. Afghanistan, on the other hand, beat Sri Lanka by eight runs in the quarterfinals, before defeating Pakistan by four wickets in the semi-final.
Ahead of the final of the cricket games at the Asian Games 2023, here’s everything you need to know to maximize your chances of winning cash prizes on MPL fantasy.
Weather update and pitch report for IND vs BAN, Asian Games 2023
The pitch at the venue is expected to be bowling friendly. We saw the Indian bowlers wreak havoc on this pitch in the semi-final just a day ago. A high-scoring match is unlikely on the cards.
There is no rain forecast on match day. The weather, with a maximum temperature of 23 degrees Celsius, will be pleasant.
India team news and predicted XI.
Team news: India do not have any injury concerns and are unlikely to make any changes to the playing XI which they fielded in the quarter-final and semi-final.
Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Mukesh Kumar, Prabhsimran Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Deep
Predicted XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh
Afghanistan team news and predicted XI
Team news: Afghanistan also do not have any injury concerns and are unlikely to make any changes to the line-up which was caused an upset over Pakistan in the semi-final.
Squad: Sediqullah Atal, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib(c), Sharafuddin Ashraf, Afsar Zazai, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Shirzad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masood, Karim Janat, Zubaid Akbari, Wafiullah Tarakhil.
Predicted XI: Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Afsar Zazai, Noor Ali Zadran, Gulbadin Naib (C), Shahidullah Kamal, Karim Janat, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Zahir Khan, Qais Ahmad
Head-to-head record
In the 20-over format, the two sides have played against each other in a total of four matches, all of which they have been won by India.
Five players to watch out for
Here we list five players you must pick in your MPL fantasy XI for IND vs BAN, Asian Games 2023
Yashasvi Jaiswal – batsman, India
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a century on his Test debut earlier this, slammed his maiden T20I century in the quarter-final against Nepal. His century came off just 49 balls and made him India’s youngest centurion in the T20I format. The 21-year-old batsman has been in great form this year, which includes his run-fest in IPL 2023, and also in domestic cricket for Mumbai. Although he was dismissed for a duck in the semi-final, Yashasvi is still a good choice for your MPL team’s vice-captaincy.
Sai Kishore – bowler, India
Sai Kishore, who was been one of the most consistent performers for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket, earned his maiden international call-up in the Asian Games, and grabbed the opportunity with both hands, picking a wicket in the quarter-final, and three wickets in the semi-final. His economy rate of 6.25 in the first match and 3.00 in the second one was also impressive.
Rinku Singh – batsman, India
Rinku Singh did not get a chance to bat in the semi-final but played his part of finishing games to perfection in the quarter-final against Nepal. He scored an unbeaten 37 off just 15 balls, laced with two boundaries and four maximums. The hard-hitting batsman impressed in the IPL this year, which eventually earned him his international call-up against Ireland last month, and subsequently a place in India’s Asian Games squad.
Gulbadin Naib – all-rounder, Afghanistan
Against Sri Lanka in the quarter-final, veteran all-rounder Gulbadin Naib impressed with the ball, picking up three wickets for 28 runs. Against Pakistan in the semi-final, he impressed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 26. Naib brings with him the experience of playing 79 ODIs for Afghanistan, which could be of much help to Afghanistan in the final.
Mohammad Shahzad – wicketkeeper batsman, Afghanistan
Another experienced player in the Afghanistan squad is wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad, who has played 84 ODIs, scoring 2727 runs at an average of 33.66.
MPL fantasy XI – IND vs BAN, Asian Games 2023
IND vs BAN – where and what time to watch the match live in India.
The India vs Bangladesh match will be televised on the Sony Sports Network in India. You can also watch the game on the Sony Liv app as well as the Jiocinema app. The match will begin at 6.30 AM IST on October 6.
Check out our detailed guide on fantasy cricket for more tips and tricks. https://www.mpl.live/blog/todays-match-prediction/
Note: The players recommended here need not be a part of the Playing 11 on game day. Users are advised to do their own research also and follow official sources and create their teams.
