Afghanistan vs. Ireland: Third ODI Preview

Afghanistan vs. Ireland: Third ODI Preview

Afghanistan and Ireland will clash in the third One Day International (ODI) of the five-match series in Dehra Dun on Tuesday. The home side are leading the series 1-0 as they defeated the visitors by five wickets in the series opener, whereas the second ODI was washed out. Therefore, it will be Afghanistan who will enter the contest as favourites as they will look to take an unassailable lead with a win on Tuesday. Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehra Dun will be used as the venue, which will be hosting its third ODI. Because of the location of the ground, pacer are likely to get assist than spinners.

In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of captain Asghar Afghan and opener Hazratullah Zazai to score bulk of the runs, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be on the leg-spin duo of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahamn and pacer Dawlat Zadran to produce timely breakthroughs.

On the other hand, Ireland will enter the contest knowing that with the second game washed out, they will have to produce a positive result in the next match if they are to keep their hopes alive of winning the series. In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of captain William Porterfield and in-form Paul Stirling to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the likes of pacer Boyd Rankin and left-arm spinner George

Afghanistan and Ireland will clash in the third One Day International (ODI) of the five-match series in Dehra Dun on Tuesday. The home side are leading the series 1-0 as they defeated the visitors by five wickets in the series opener, whereas the second ODI was washed out. Therefore, it will be Afghanistan who will enter the contest as favourites as they will look to take an unassailable lead with a win on Tuesday. Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehra Dun will be used as the venue, which will be hosting its third ODI. Because of the location of the ground, pacer are likely to get assist than spinners.

In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of captain Asghar Afghan and opener Hazratullah Zazai to score bulk of the runs, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be on the leg-spin duo of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahamn and pacer Dawlat Zadran to produce timely breakthroughs.

On the other hand, Ireland will enter the contest knowing that with the second game washed out, they will have to produce a positive result in the next match if they are to keep their hopes alive of winning the series. In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of captain William Porterfield and in-form Paul Stirling to score bulk of the runs, whereas on the bowling front, the onus will be on the likes of pacer Boyd Rankin and left-arm spinner George Dockrell to produce timely breakthroughs.

Key Players:


Paul Stirling – 10 Cr

First in the list of key players features Ireland's Paul Stirling. The veteran all-rounder is the backbone of the visitors batting lineup and has time and again, proved his credentials at the top of the order. In the series opener, it was only Stirling who put up fight for the Irish team as he scored well-crafter 89 runs, but ended on the losing note. Therefore, the 28-year-old, who is valued at 10 Cr, is the player to have in your team. Stirling in his career has represented Ireland in 102 ODIs, where he has scored 3,435 runs at an average of 35.41, which included seven centuries and 17 fifties.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman – 9 Cr

Second in the list of key players features Afghanistan's Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The 17-year-old is highly rated in the cricketing circles in the country and has an outstanding beginning to his career in the 50-over format, where he has 47 wickets in just 25 matches at an average of 18.14 to go with strike-rate of 29 and economy-rate of 3.74. In the series opener, Rahman had an outstanding outing as he claimed figures of three for 14 and paved way for his side's easy win. Since the match will be played at the same venue, Rahman, who is valued at 9 Cr might prove to be a really good pick for your team.

Hazratullah Zazai – 8.5 Cr

Last in the list of key players features Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai. The 20-year-old has had an outstanding beginning to his career in the 50-over format where he is average 75.60. In the second ODI which was washed out, Zazai scored a well-crafter 67 off just 43 balls, which shows what he is capable of and therefore, he is the player to have in your team.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Azeem Siddiqui
Passionate sports follower in the field of sports journalism for more than five years. Loves writing about cricket, football, and tennis.
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