Match: Afghanistan vs Pakistan, Cricket World Cup 2023 (AFG vs PAK)
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Date: October 22, 2.00 PM IST
Match 22 of the ODI World Cup 2023 will be played between Afghanistan and Pakistan on October 23 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Pakistan have lost two of their four games and are currently in the fifth spot on the points table. Afghanistan, on the other hand, are right at the bottom of the table with just one win in four games, which, surprisingly, came over defending champions England.
Pakistan lost their previous game to Australia. David Warner and Mitchell Marsh scored a record-breaking 259-run partnership for the first wicket on the batting friendly Chinnaswamy wicket. This propelled Australia to a total of 367 for 9, in reply to which Pakistan were bowled out for 305. Abdullah Shafique (64), Imam ul Haq (70) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) were the top run-scorers for Pakistan. The side will be worried about the dip in captain Babar Azam’s form. Apart from a half century against India, Azam has not made any significant contribution in four games so far.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, lost to New Zealand in their last game. Azmatullah Omarzai and Naveen ul Haq picked up two wickets each but the batsmen were not able to put up a fight and were bowled out for just 139. Six of the Afghanistan batsmen were dismissed on single-digit scores.
Ahead of the next game of Cricket World Cup 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 AFG vs PAK, Cricket World Cup 2023
The pitch at the MA Chidambaram stadium in balanced. The average first innings score in the last 10 ODIs played here is 264. The spinners also get help here. Batting first is the ideal choice, with the team batting first winning 60 per cent of the matches.
The temperature in Chennai during the day is expected to be around 32 degrees Celsius. Rain is not forecast.
Afghanistan team news and predicted XI
Team news: Afghanistan do not have any injury concerns. They are unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI.
Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq.
Predicted XI: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz 2 Ibrahim Zadran 3 Rahmat Shah 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt) 5 Azmatullah Omarzai 6 Ikram Alikhil (wk) 7 Mohammad Nabi 8 Rashid Khan 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman 10 Naveen-ul-Haq 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pakistan team news and predicted XI
Team news: Pakistan also do not have any new injury concerns. It remains to be seen if they persist with Usama Mir, who disappointed in the previous game. But they likely will.
Squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim
Predicted XI: 1 Abdullah Shafique 2 Imam-ul-Haq 3 Babar Azam (capt) 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 5 Saud Shakeel Shadab Khan 7 Iftikhar Ahmed 8 Usama Mir 8 9 Hasan Ali 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi 11 Haris Rauf
Head-to-head record
Afghanistan and Pakistan have played a total of seven ODIs between them, all of which were won by Pakistan. At the World Cup in particular, the two sides have played only one game in the past.
Five players to watch out for
Here we list five players you must pick in your MPL fantasy XI for AFG vs PAK, Cricket World Cup 2023.
Shaheen Afridi – bowler, Pakistan
Shaheen Afridi was not at his menacing best in the first few games. He picked only four wickets in three matches and it looked like he wasn’t in the rhythm. However, in what is a huge boost for Pakistan, the pacer sprung back to form against Australia in the previous game with a five-wicket haul. He was well supported by Haris Rauf, who picked up three wickets. With both Afridi and Rauf finding their form again, Pakistan look a much stronger team than they did in the initial few games.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman – bowler, Afghanistan
Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be looking to exploit the spin-friendly bowling surface in Chennai. He will be particularly tasked with taking wickets in the powerplay overs. Rahman has picked up four wickets in the last two matches, including three against England.
Rashid Khan – bowler, Afghanistan
Rashid Khan will be Afghanistan’s key player in this game. He has picked up six wickets in the last three games and will now look to dismiss the inconsistent Pakistan batsmen on a surface that will be conducive to spinners. Rashid can also help you win fantasy points with his batting. He is a good choice for your MPL team’s vice-captaincy for this game.
Mohammad Rizwan – wicketkeeper batsman, Pakistan
Mohammed Rizwan is the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 294 runs in four matches. He had consistently delivered the goods for Pakistan – 68 vs Netherlands, 131* against Sri Lanka, 49 vs India and 46 against Australia in the previous game. Rizwan has a batting average of 40.55 in 69 ODIs and is a good choice for your MPL team’s captaincy for this game.
Abdullah Shafique – batsman, Pakistan
Another batsman to have in your MPL fantasy team is Abdullah Shafique. He scored 113 against Sri Lanka and 64 against Australia. Although inexperienced, having played only seven ODIs, the 23-year-old has shown much confidence in the tournament.
MPL XI for AFG vs PAK, ODI World Cup 2023
AFG vs PAK – where and what time to watch the match live in India
The Afghanistan vs Pakistan ODI will be televised on the Star Sports Network in India. You can also watch the game on the Disney + Hotstar app as well as the Jiocinema app. The match will begin at 2.00 PM IST on October 23.
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.
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.
