Netherlands vs Afghanistan, Match 34
ICC World Cup, 3 November, 2023, 2 PM IST, Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Both teams have exceeded expectations with multiple wins in the tournament and Netherlands vs Afghanistan face each other in the 34th match of the World Cup.
The clash is scheduled to be played at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. This is the final match of the competition at the venue and the fans will be expecting to witness a thriller.
The Netherlands are in eighth place in the points table with two wins in six matches. However, they are coming into this game after beating Bangladesh comfortably by 87 runs and will be keen to register their third win by trumping Afghanistan.
While the Dutch are still alive in the tournament, a loss will end their hopes of making it to the semifinals.
On the other hand, Afghanistan will be more realistic about making it to the semis, especially with the way they beat their Asian rivals Pakistan and Sri Lanka in consecutive matches.
In both outings, they chased totals and did it with utmost precision. They are in sixth place at the moment and a win will take them to fifth place and only one win adrift of fourth-placed New Zealand.
The Netherlands vs Afghanistan prediction is an easy one given that the venue has favoured spin largely in the four matches played.
India defended 229 runs against England in the previous match played at the venue, winning the match comfortably by 100 runs. Afghanistan will be quietly confident in this match but then the Netherlands have come into this World Cup to prove a lot of theories wrong.
Whatever happens in this encounter and the rest of the tournament, both teams will hold their heads high to compete better than some of the top teams.
The Netherlands are improved than they were when they landed in India while Afghanistan are finally delivering on the promise they showed when they got the Test status around 2018.
Team Form, Last 5 Matches for the Netherlands: W-L-L-W-L
Team Form, Last 5 Matches for the Afghanistan: W-W-L-W-L
Virat Kohli Captaincy Record (Tests, ODIs, T20Is, and IPL) – A Statistical Analysis
Contents
Netherlands vs Afghanistan Match Preview
Netherlands
The Netherlands have been superb, to say the least, in this tournament so far. They have been the most stable side, arguably with minimal changes made to their playing XI. While the openers Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit Singh have not been that consistent, the team has decided to back them all the way.
On the other hand, the likes of Bas de Leede, Paul van Meekeren and Aryan Dutt have done well in the bowling department despite enduring tough times, especially against Australia in Delhi. Every time the Dutch have been put under pressure, they have responded well and they will be looking to do the same in this game.
Our fast bowlers in #CWC23 🤌 pic.twitter.com/iFcqa2jpSq
— Cricket🏏Netherlands (@KNCBcricket) October 30, 2023
Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter: Scott Edwards
Probable Best Bowler: Paul van Meekeren
Possible Playing XI: Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Wesley Barresi, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards ( C & WK), Bas de Leede, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren.
Afghanistan
Looking at the surface in Lucknow, Afghanistan will be tempted to play Noor Ahmad who did a fantastic job against Pakistan.
However, Fazalhaq Farooqi, who was dropped on the previous occasion, is coming into this game on the back of a player of the match performance. Afghanistan have some tough calls to make in this match.
Their bowling attack comprising Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi is undoubtedly one of the best and the onus will be on them to run through the Netherlands’ line-up. Moreover, they will be hoping for their wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil to get fit in time.
Lucknow Vibes! 🤩
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 31, 2023
AfghanAtalan have landed in Lucknow ahead of their next game at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 against the @KNCBCricket. 👍#AfghanAtalan | #CWC23 | #AFGvNED | #WarzaMaidanGata pic.twitter.com/Yg5L1xppzg
Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter: Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Probable Best Bowler: Rashid Khan
Possible Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil/Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq/Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pitch Report and Expected Weather Conditions for NED vs AFG
The surface at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow has been a challenging one for the batters. However, the batsmen who spend some time in the middle will reap the rewards, much like how Rohit Sharma did against England, scoring 87 runs. Also, the team winning the toss will prefer having runs on the board despite dew playing a crucial role.
Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow ODI Records
Total Matches: 13
Match Won batting first: 4
Match won bowling first: 9
Average 1st innings score: 229
Average 2nd innings score: 207
Expected weather condition: It will be hot and humid to start with in Lucknow with temperatures in the mid-30s. However, things might cool down in the evening even as there is no chance of rain playing spoilsport.
Netherlands vs Afghanistan Dream11 Match Prediction
Wicket-keepers: Scott Edwards, Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Batters: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah
All-rounders: Bas de Leede, Logan van Beek, Colin Ackermann, Azmatullah Omarzai
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Paul van Meekeren, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Recommended Captain: Rashid Khan
Recommended Vice-captain: Azmatullah Omarzai
In the wicketkeeping department, both Edwards and Gurbaz are in decent form and it is better not to ignore them. Also, the likes of Zadran and Rahmat are the rock of Afghanistan's top order while in the all-rounders’ category, all four players picked are in excellent form as they will give a lot of points.
Moreover, Omarzai is the best Dream11 captain or vice-captain option thanks to his all-around skills. Among bowlers, Rashid Khan is the best Dream11 captain option given his superior skill with the ball, while Meekeren and Mujeeb are other wicket-taking options.
Netherlands vs Afghanistan win prediction: Afghanistan to win
Afghanistan are tipped to win this match given the form they are in at the moment. However, the never-give-up attitude of the Netherlands side will keep them on tenterhooks all the time. We predict this to be a close one.
