Netherlands and Afghanistan will lock horns in match No. 34 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Friday, November 3. The match will be played at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. While the two teams take each other on the playing field, the fantasy cricket managers have a chance to pick their favourite players and form their teams. The performance of the players on the field will translate to points for each fantasy team picked, and the manager with the team with the most points stands a chance to win attractive prizes.
The Netherlands are having a memorable campaign in India. With two wins in six matches, although their chances of making it to the semi-finals are slim right now, they could still do a lot of damage in the top half. They defeated the in-form South Africa in one of the biggest surprises of the season and followed it up with a win against Bangladesh in their last match.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, are having the best possible outing in the ongoing tournament. With three wins in six matches, they’re aiming for the hills and are not shying away. The three wins so far have come against three former champions – England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A victory for Afghanistan could put them right in contention for a place in the semi-finals.
Probable playing XIs
Netherlands: Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Wesley Barresi, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Bas de Leede, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Weather conditions and pitch report
The wicket at the Ekana Stadium offers great assistance to the bowlers if recent matches are taken into consideration. The ground dimensions are big as well, which will make batters’ life difficult. The average score batting first at this venue is 229.
The weather conditions will challenge the players in the afternoon, but it will settle as the day progresses. The temperatures in Lucknow are expected to range between 18 degrees to 31 degrees.
NED vs AFG fantasy XI
Wicket-keepers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Scott Edwards
Batters: Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ibrahim Zadran
All-rounders: Colin Ackermann, Azmatullah Omarzai, Bas de Leede
Bowlers: Paul van Meekeren, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Among wicket-keepers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Scott Edwards are the best options for your fantasy team. Scott Edwards has scored 204 runs at an average of 51, while Gurbaz has given Afghanistan some terrific starts.
Rahmat Shah (212 runs) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (226 runs) have been among the runs regularly this season. In the batting department, we have gone with those two, alongside Ibrahim Zadran, who scored 212 runs in the tournament so far.
Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede are the top picks from the Dutch unit among all-rounders. Both of them have been contributing regularly with the bat and ball. Ackermann has scored 152 runs and picked up five wickets. Among Afghan players, Azmatullah Omarzai has been in terrific touch, scoring 203 runs at an average of 50.75 and picking up five wickets with the ball.
Paul van Meekeren picked up 10 wickets at an average of 26.50 in the tournament. Among Afghan bowlers, Rashid Khan is always a top choice considering his track record and in the World Cup, he has seven wickets at an economy of 4.88. Fazalhaq Farooqi was named Player of the Match against Sri Lanka for picking up four wickets in the last match and is in good form heading into this clash.
Captain: Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz is batting aggressively up the order and has made a stellar difference for Afghanistan. He scored 224 runs at a strike-rate of 99.55, which includes two half-centuries. He is a great choice for captaincy.
Vice-captain: Bas de Leede
With the bat and ball, Bas de Leede is one of the Netherlands’ crucial players. He has scored 114 runs, which includes one half-century and picked up 11 wickets, making him Netherlands’ leading wicket-taker in the tournament.
Topics mentioned in this article