Ireland vs Afghanistan, 4th T20I: Preview, stats, and Fantasy XI
Hosts Ireland eye a series win when they face Afghanistan in the fourth of five-match series on Monday. The Andrew Balbirnie-captained side has a 2-1 lead up their sleeves. They came short in the third outing on both batting and bowling fronts to suffer a 22-run defeat. Afghanistan have able T20I campaigners who can pull a win out of nowhere. Here is the preview.
Pitch report, timing, and TV listing
The Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast will host this affair. The wicket has assisted both batters and bowlers in the series underway. Chasing sides have won 15 of 25 T20Is played here. Anything around 165-175 could be a competitive score at this venue. The match can be live-streamed on the Fancode app (8:00 PM IST).
Here's the head-to-head record (T20Is)
It has been a one-sided dominance so far, with Afghanistan boasting a 15-6 win-loss record. Moreover, Afghanistan haven't lost a bilateral T20I series versus the Irishmen and boast a perfect 4-0 record.
A power-packed contest awaits both sides
Andrew Balbirnie's master-class is needed. Lorcan Tucker has had consistent returns in the series. Also, Paul Stirling needs to fend off his poor run of form. Speedster Joshua Little can be a nuisance in his initial spells. For Afghanistan, the scoring onus rests on Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Left-armer Fazalhaq Farooqi remains a threat for Irishmen alongside Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan.
A look at the probable XI of both sides
Ireland (probable XI): Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Lorcan Tucker (wicket-keeper), Harry Tector, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Curtis Campher, Fionn Hand, Mark Adair, Graham Hume, Joshua Little. Afghanistan (probable XI): Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Usman Ghani, Ibrahim Zidran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Who are the key performers?
Andrew Balbirnie has smacked 440 runs in T20Is played this year. He scored 51 and 46 in the first and second T20Is, respectively. Joshua Little has claimed 49 scalps at 25.40. Wicket-keeper batter Lorcan Tucker's scores in the series read 50(32), 27(28), and 31(21). Spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has snapped up 36 wickets at 16.80. Rahmanullah Gurbaz has aggregated 648 runs, striking at 133.05.
Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Options
Fantasy XI (option 1): Lorcan Tucker, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (c), Paul Stirling, Najibullah Zadran, Andrew Balbirnie, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, George Dockrell, Joshua Little (vc), Barry McCarthy, Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Fantasy XI (option 2): Lorcan Tucker (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Andrew Balbirnie, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, George Dockrell, Joshua Little, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (vc), Fazalhaq Farooqi.
