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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Canada, scheduled to be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan find themselves in a must-win situation as they prepare to take on Canada in match 22 of the T20 World Cup at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

The Shaheens are yet to earn a point in the competition and enter this match second-bottom in the Group A standings, while the Maple Leafers are in third place with two points in as many games.

Match preview

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Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign is in complete turmoil heading into game three, as they must defeat both Canada and Ireland to have a chance at advancing to the Super Eights, while also hoping that the group leaders slip up.

The Shaheens suffered arguably the biggest upset in T20 World Cup history in their first game, where they were beaten by hosts United States in a nail-biting encounter that went down to the Super Over.

Babar Azam‘s side then looked primed to overcome their arch-rivals India on Sunday after bowling the Men in Blue out for just 119 in 19 overs, marking India’s lowest total against Pakistan in 12 T20Is since 2007.

However, the victory was not to be, as Jasprit Bumrah turned the match on its head, knocking over Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, while Hardik Pandya bagged 2/24, restricting Pakistan to 113/7, six runs shy of their target.

Pakistan have now lost each of their last four T20 internationals, barring abandoned matches, while the only Test-playing nation they have beaten in 2024 was New Zealand on home soil back in April.

The 2024 T20 World Cup has already tossed up several shocking results, including three first-time participants earning victories, while some of the big guns have struggled to hit top gear in challenging conditions.

Canada, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, experienced their best day in international cricket since defeating Bangladesh at the 2003 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, when they produced an all-round effort to stun Ireland by 12 runs last Friday.

The groundwork for Canada’s first victory in a T20 World Cup was established by Nicholas Kirton‘s 49 off 35 balls, supported by Shreyas Movva, who made a workman-like 37 in 36 deliveries. The Maple Leafers were struggling at 53/4 when the duo joined forces in the ninth over, but they managed to stabilize the innings, forming a crucial 75-run partnership.

Canada’s bowling lineup then got them over the line with excellent spells from Jeremy Gordon and Dillon Heylinger, who took two wickets apiece while conceding just 16 and 18 runs respectively in their four-over allotment.

Such is this format of T20 cricket that the minnows have a real chance of beating the big guns, and while very few are giving the Canadians a chance in this one, they are the side entering the contest with confidence and cannot be overlooked with Pakistan yet to find any sort of rhythm in their play.

Team News

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Despite their struggles in this competition, Pakistan’s bowling attack have fared well, with Naseem Shah and Mohammad Amir providing excellent support for Shaheen Afridi with the new ball.

Fakhar Zaman was dismissed cheaply yet again after a poor shot saw him edge the ball to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps in the last match, and his place in the middle order is likely to come under scrutiny unless he can produce a solid knock in this one.

While Canada will be over the moon with their performance in their last match, they will be hoping for bigger contributions for Aaron Johnson and Navneet Dhaliwal at the top of the order after the pair were dismissed for a total of 20 runs between them against Ireland.

Captain Saad Bin Zafar and Junaid Siddiqui both delivered economical spells of 1/22 and 1/27 in their four overs respectively last time out, although Kaleem Sana struggled with the new ball and may be given one more chance to shine before the side considers a change up front.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Usman Khan.15 hours ago

Canada squad: Saad Bin Zafar (c), Dilpreet Bajwa, Navneet Dhaliwal, Aaron Johnson, Nicholas Kirton, Pargat Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Shreyas Movva (WK), Rayyan Pathan, Nikhil Dutta, Junaid Siddiqui, Jeremy Gordon, Dillon Heyliger, Rishiv Joshi, Kaleem Sana

Series so far

Pakistan

Match One: Pakistan lost the Super Over by 5 runs
Pakistan – 159/7 &13/1
USA – 159/3 & 18/1

Match Two: Pakistan lost by 6 runs
India – 119 (19)
Pakistan – 113/7 (20)

Canada

Match One: Canada lost by 7 wickets
Canada – 194/5 (20)
USA – 197/3 (17.4)

Match Two: Canada won by 12 runs
Canada – 137/7 (20)
Ireland – 125/7 (20)

© PA Photos

We say: Pakistan to win

Pakistan are in a do-or-die situation from here on, and based on their performances in the competition so far, winning the next two games is certainly not a given.

However, the Shaheens do have a tendency to pull off big performances when they need them the most, and while we are not expecting a blow-out here, we do feel that the Green Shirts will remain in the qualification battle by winning this match.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between South Africa and Bangladesh, scheduled to be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.

South Africa will look to set one foot in the Super Eight of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup when they take on Bangladesh at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Monday afternoon.

The Proteas currently lead ‘the group of death’ with a perfect two-for-two record, while the Tigers have got off to a promising start, beating Sri Lanka in their tournament opener on Saturday.

Match preview

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South Africa have made the perfect start in their quest to earn their first T20 World Cup title, rattling off back-to-back convincing victories over Sri Lanka in their first match before overcoming bogey side the Netherlands on Saturday afternoon.

In the first match, the Proteas reduced the Lions to their lowest T20I total of 77 all out in 19.1 overs and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to what many consider the side’s most stable middle-order of their white-ball era.

As it turned out, it was the South African middle-order that did the business again in match two, with David Miller scoring a meticulous and unbeaten 59 from 51 balls, helping his side recover from a shocking 12-4 start to claim a tense victory by four wickets with seven balls to spare.

Ottniel Baartman, who is the leading South African wicket-taker in T20s this year, delivered another stellar performance, taking four wickets and achieving his career-best figures of 4/11, as South Africa restricted the Netherlands to 103 for nine wickets in their 20-over allotment.

Up next for the Proteas are Bangladesh, a side that they have beaten in all eight of their previous T20I encounters, including in each of the last two editions of this tournament, and while another victory here will not guarantee their qualification just yet, it will put them firmly in the driver’s seat to reach the next round.

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Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s T20 record leading up to this tournament was far from convincing, as they suffered series losses to Sri Lanka and the United States before being blown away by India in their warm-up match at the start of the month.

However, all of those results will feel like a long time ago for the Tigers now after they upset the bookmakers by pulling off a two-wicket victory in a gripping encounter against the Lions in Texas over the weekend.

After a fairly poor start with the ball, Rishad Hossain changed the momentum of the innings by producing a brilliant spell of leg-spin, notching up his career-best T20I figures of 3/22 as Bangladesh fought back to restrict Sri Lanka to 124-9.

Liton Das (36) and Towhid Hridoy (40) then put Bangladesh in a commanding position in their run chase before some excellent pace bowling from Nuwan Thushara (4/18) in his second spell threatened a late twist in the plot. However, veteran Mahmudullah used all his experience to guide Bangladesh over the line with an unbeaten 16.

According to the pre-tournament odds, Sri Lanka were fancied to join South Africa in the next round of the competition, but owing to the Lions’ atrocious first two results, Bangladesh will now have the Super Eight firmly in their sights, and reaching that milestone will likely depend heavily on the result against the Flying Dutchmen, who they face on June 13.

Team News

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Tristan Stubbs seems to have carried his excellent form in the Indian Premier League to this tournament, and his 33 off 37 in a crucial 65-run partnership was key to South Africa’s victory over the Netherlands last weekend.

Reeza Hendricks‘ spot in the side is now undoubtedly under scrutiny after he suffered another cheap dismissal at the top of the order on Saturday. The opener now has the lowest strike rate in T20Is among South Africa’s top six batsmen.

After producing his career-best numbers in match one, Anrich Nortje was rapid yet again in match two, adding another two wickets to his tally, and he should almost certainly retain his spot for this match.

Tanzid Hasan and Soumya Sarkar both failed at the top of the order, contributing three runs between them, and the pair will likely be given one more opportunity here before Najmul Hossain Shanto considers a few changes.

Youngster Rishad Hossain has emerged as one to watch in this competition and will likely carry the majority of the spin bowling responsibilities alongside veteran and the number-one-ranked T20 all-rounder in the world Shakib Al Hasan.

South Africa squad: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs. Reserves: Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi.

Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.

Series so far

South Africa

Match One: South Africa won by 6 wickets
Sri Lanka – 77 (19.1)
South Africa – 80/4 (16.2)

Match Two: South Africa won by 4 wickets
Netherlands – 109/9 (20)
South Africa – 106/6 (18.5)

Bangladesh

Match One: Bangladesh won by 2 wickets
Sri Lanka – 124/9 (20)
Bangladesh – 125/8 (19)

© PA Photos

We say: South Africa to win

South Africa have undoubtedly been the pick of the sides in Group D up to this point, and their player’s involvement in the recently completed IPL seems to have done wonders as they look fit and sharp both with the bat and ball.

While Bangladesh can never be overlooked in the shortest format of the game, their record against the Proteas is very poor, and we feel they will struggle to match the quality of the Southern Hemisphere side in this one.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan, scheduled to be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.

Week two in the 2024 T20 World Cup will see arch-rivals India and Pakistan face off at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday afternoon.

These two form one of the most intense rivalries in all sports, and the temporary 34,000-seat stadium in East Meadow is expected to be packed to capacity for what has been dubbed the ‘Super Bowl on steroids’.

Match preview

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When India and Pakistan take to the field, it transcends sport and becomes pure emotion. Nearly 400 million TV and streaming site viewers in India tuned in to watch the previous encounter in October last year at the ODI World Cup, and there have been reports this week suggesting that re-sale platforms have priced tickets for this match at between $1000 and $5000 per seat – all of which are expected to be sold.

India came into the T20 World Cup looking to end their unwanted pattern of near misses in international competitions, having come painfully close to glory in recent tournaments but ultimately falling short at crucial moments.

Nevertheless, the Men in Blue look like they mean business this year and made a positive start to the campaign by bundling out Ireland for 96 runs within 16 overs in their first match, with their pace bowlers securing eight wickets at remarkably low economy rates. The Irish only managed three sixes and eight fours throughout their innings.

Despite the loss of an early wicket in the third over, India clinched victory by eight wickets and with more than seven overs to spare, with captain Rohit Sharma spearheading their pursuit with 52 runs before he had to retire hurt after sustaining an injury to his arm.

India have won six and lost only one T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, which included a famous final victory in the first-ever tournament held in South Africa in 2007, while the sole defeat came in the pandemic-delayed 2021 edition, which is also the first-ever World Cup win in any format that the Shaheens have managed against the Blue shirts.

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Sharma’s injury has brought up a few questions about the state of the pitch here in Nassau County and both games played on the surface have ended as low-scoring affairs. India’s win against Ireland saw a total of 193 runs scored across both innings, which is only marginally higher than the average score in one innings in the recently concluded IPL season.

At first glance, it is a fairly flat and bouncy track that looks ideal for pace bowling, which is something that Pakistan will need to take advantage of after ending up on the receiving end of what many consider the biggest upset in T20 World Cup history when they lost their opening match of the competition to World Cup debutants the United States.

Batting first, the Shaheens bounced back from a shaky start at 26/3 in the fifth over to reach a defendable total of 159/7, with captain Babar Azam leading the charge, scoring a 43-ball 44, while Shadab Khan scored 40 runs off 25 balls, and Shaheen Afridi finished unbeaten with 23 runs off 16 deliveries.

However, the tournament co-hosts, whose only previous victories against Test-playing nations in T20Is were over Ireland and Bangladesh, matched the target set before pulling off a remarkable five-run victory in the super over where Saurabh Netravalkar conceded just 13 runs and claimed a wicket thanks to a catch of the tournament contender by Nitish Kumar.

After a dismal ODI World Cup where they only managed four wins in nine games, leading to an early exit in the group stage, the Shaheens face a similar fate here as a loss to their neighbours will leave them four points adrift of the top two places with three games to go, meaning they will likely have to win all of their remaining games and cross fingers that the group leaders have a complete meltdown in their last three games.

Team News

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Rahul Dravid announced last week that he would be stepping down as the national T20 team head coach at the end of this tournament and the Indian batting legend will love nothing more than to lead his side to their first T20 title since the inaugural tournament in 2007.

After retiring hurt, Sharma’s participation in this match is in doubt, though he has not been ruled out as of yet. In the event he cannot take the field on Sunday, Yashasvi Jaiswal is the most likely to come into the side at the top of the order.

Virat Kohli, who just earned his second orange cap at the IPL, will almost certainly continue to open the innings despite his cheap dismissal in their opening match, while Rishabh Pant seems to have locked down the number-three spot after two solid knocks in the warm-up game and against Ireland.

Babar Azam has been a steady force leading the Shaheens batting lineup, but to have a chance of challenging India, he will need the likes of Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan and Fakhar Zaman to step up here after the top-order trio were dismissed for a combined total of 23 runs against the US.

With the pitch in Nassau County expected to favour the pacemen, Pakistan will likely look for a big contribution from Afridi with the new ball. The left-arm speedster has taken 34 wickets in powerplays since 2019, which is the second-most of any bowler in T20s over the period, only behind New Zealand’s Tim Southee (39).

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan

Series so far

India

Match One: India won by 8 wickets
Ireland: 96 (16)
India: 97/2 (12.2)

Pakistan

Match One: Pakistan lost the Super Over by 5 runs
Pakistan: 159/7 & 13/1
United States: 159/3 & 18/1

© PA Photos

We say: India to win

India come into this match off the back of a commanding performance against Ireland and look set to go deep in this tournament, with their players looking match-sharp, having only just completed the 2024 Indian Premier League season.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will arrive in New York likely still feeling the effects of their massive opening-game disappointment, and their performance in that match combined with their recent record suggests they will struggle to overcome the Men in Blue in this one.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between Australia and England, scheduled to be played at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.

Cricketing powerhouses Australia and England will lock horns in match 17 of the 2024 T20 World Cup at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday evening.

Group B in this competition is an intriguing one and features the two most recent champions along with three spirited contenders in Namibia, Scotland and Oman.

Match preview

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Australia come into the T20 World Cup looking to etch their names in history as the first nation to hold the title in all three formats of the game, having secured the Test Championship and one-day international crown last year.

Despite failing to reach the final four stages of their home T20 World Cup in 2022, the Aussies are one of the favourites in this edition, owing to their track record of performing well in ICC events, while boasting a squad that includes several players in excellent form.

Australia survived a tricky first game in this competition, overcoming a courageous Oman side by 39 runs, with Marcus Stoinis putting in a Man of the Match performance with both bat and ball, top-scoring with 67* while also taking a team-high 3/19 in three overs.

David Warner also delivered with the bat, as Australia totalled a defendable 164/5, while Mitchell Starc was rapid with the new ball, getting it to swing at pace, which will be a massive asset for the Baggy Greens as the tournament progresses.

Andrew McDonald‘s side have now won seven of their last nine T20Is, including a 2-1 series win over the West Indies in February and a three-match clean sweep of New Zealand directly after that.

© Reuters

Meanwhile, England secured a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final to clinch their second T20 World Cup title back in 2022, adding to their 2010 triumph, but their defence of their 50-over crown in India last year was a nightmare that saw them eliminated in the group stage.

England’s opening match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 against Scotland was cut short prematurely. The Scots set England a target of 90, which was adjusted to 109 with DLS at this venue before rain intervened and brought an end to proceedings.

However, 10 overs were bowled in the match and the concerning point from an English perspective would have been that the side were unable to take a wicket and appeared sloppy at times. Mark Wood had a wicket denied due to a no-ball, while Chris Jordan failed to impress as George Munsey and Michael Jones punished his bowling with boundaries.

The abandonment resulted in both sides earning a point apiece from the game, meaning that a loss against Australia on Saturday would likely put massive pressure on England, making the final two games against Namibia and Oman must-win matches for the defending champions.

Jos Buttler will know that his side can ill-afford another sluggish start against the Aussies here and will need to refind the attacking Bazball style that worked so well for them when they surged to the white-ball titles in 2019 (ODI) and 2022 (T20) if they are to stand a chance of successfully defending their crown.

Team News

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The Aussies dodged an injury scare to strike bowler Mitchell Starc, who pulled up sore after a delivery in his final over last time out. The left-arm paceman was flagged as a minor doubt for this match but was cleared for selection in the week.

Pat Cummins was forced to withdraw from the first match due to an injury, but he is expected to return to the starting lineup for this crucial encounter, with Nathan Ellis being the most likely to drop to the bench to make way for him.

After a match-winning performance in the 50-over World Cup final and an impressive reintroduction into the Indian Premier League, which included a century off just 39 balls, Travis Head is quickly emerging as the key player for Australia and will be looking to make his mark on the competition in this match.

Jofra Archer‘s return to the England side in the country of his birth during the match against Scotland marked a significant moment, and the paceman will be crucial to the Three Lions’ success in the competition if he gets among the wickets.

The batting line-up is expected to remain unchanged, with Buttler and Phil Salt likely to open, followed by Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone. Buttler holds the record for the most T20 runs by any player since the beginning of 2023, with the England captain scoring over 50 runs on 22 occasions.

Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

Series so far

Australia

Match One: Australia won by 39 runs
Australia – 164/5 (20)
Oman – 125/9 (20)

England

Match One: No result
Scotland – 90/0 (10)
England – DNB

© PA Photos

We say: Australia to win

England have been some way from the sort of form that saw them stride to the title in 2022 and a washed-out tournament opener was far from ideal in helping the side settle their nerves and get a feel for the pitch and conditions.

Australia, on the other hand, have been formidable in all formats over the last couple of years, wrapping up the Test and ODI titles in 2023, and now setting their sights on the T20 crown. We feel the Baggy Greens will be too good for the Three Lions in this one.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between South Africa and the Netherlands, scheduled to be played the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.

Group D leaders South Africa will face second-placed Netherlands in match 16 of the 2024 T20 World Cup on Saturday afternoon at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.

The Netherlands have become the Proteas bogey team at ICC events over the past two years, having defeated the South African national team in their last two World Cup encounters.

Match preview

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Netherlands have shown steady improvement in recent years, with their recent successes in both the ODI and T20 formats partly attributable to their successful recruitment of Dutch passport-holders from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the subcontinent.

The Flying Dutchmen will enter this match with confidence following a victory over Nepal in their T20 World Cup opening match where Max O’Dowd led the team with a stellar batting display, ending unbeaten on 54 en route to chasing down 106 with six wickets and eight balls to spare.

This is the seventh time the Dutch national side have reached the T20 World Cup, and they have earned several notable victories along the way, including two famous wins over England at Lord’s in 2009 and Chittagong in 2014, as well as recent triumphs against Zimbabwe and South Africa.

While direct qualification for this competition deprived the Netherlands of several potential fixtures in this format, 2023 proved to be a year primarily focused on their ODI campaign in which they qualified for the ODI World Cup and achieved victories over the Proteas and Bangladesh – both of whom are once again in their group in this tournament.

In fact, since the last World Cup 18 months ago, they have played only nine T20Is, winning a tri-series in Nepal, which included Namibia and the hosts in February-March and hosted another with Ireland and Scotland last month.

© Reuters

Meanwhile, South Africa will be out for revenge here, after they buckled under the pressure the last time these sides met in the T20 World Cup when Brandon Glover (3/9) bowled the Netherlands to a famous victory that robbed the Proteas of a place in the 2022 semi-final.

The Proteas started their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign impressively with a dominant win over Sri Lanka, spearheaded by an outstanding bowling display from Anrich Nortje, who notched up a career-best 4/7, as South Africa limited Sri Lanka to a meagre total of 77.

Perhaps the one disappointment for the South Africans in that match was the performance of their top-order, who were dismissed cheaply, although Heinrich Klaasen and the dependable David Miller got the side over the line with a little over three overs to spare.

Klaasen has been in sensational form over the last year and was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad that recorded the highest total in Indian Premier League history last month, 287/3, against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Given the recent history between these sides, the Proteas will know better than any that they cannot afford to ease up against this opponent and will benefit massively from having had a taste of cricket in the Big Apple’s pop-up stadium on Monday.

Team News

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Against Nepal, Logan van Beek excelled with the ball, taking three wickets for just 18 runs, while Tim Pringle also impressed, claiming three wickets and finishing with figures of 3-20 off four overs. Both players are expected to lead the attack again in this match.

Sybrand Engelbrecht will be a player to keep an eye on in this tournament, having made an immediate impact since returning to cricket. The South African-born batsman had an impressive ODI World Cup campaign and currently averages more than 50 at a strike rate of over 150 in the shortest format.

The Proteas will be looking for a better foundation from their top order, particularly Quinton de Kock, who had a fairly average Indian Premier League campaign with the Lucknow Super Giants over the last two months.

After his excellent spell against Sri Lanka, Notje will almost certainly retain his place in the squad and will serve as the change-up to quicks Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada with the new ball. Keshav Maharaj is expected to carry the spin responsibilities, while Tabraiz Shamsi will be hoping to make the starting 11 after sitting out the first match.

Netherlands squad: Scott Edwards (c), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Daniel Doram, Fred Klaassen, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, â â Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi. Reserve: Kyle Klein

South Africa squad: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs

Series so far

Netherlands

Match One: Netherlands won by 6 wickets
Nepal – 106 (19.2)
Netherlands – 109/4 (18.4)

South Africa

Match One: South Africa won by 6 wickets
Sri Lanka – 77 (19.1)
South Africa – 80/4 (16.2)

© PA Photos

We say: South Africa to win

While the Netherlands have emerged victorious in the last two World Cup encounters between these sides, there have also been a couple of one-sided matches the other way too, with South Africa dominating the Dutchmen from gun to tape and the Proteas look like they mean business this year.

It is always an intriguing matchup when these two meet and it should be no different this time, but we feel the side from the Southern Hemisphere will get their revenge in this one.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, scheduled to be played at Grand Prairie Stadium on Saturday.

Match 15 in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup will come from group D, with Sri Lanka taking on Bangladesh at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas on Saturday morning.

The Sri Lankans will enter this match looking to bounce back from an opening-round defeat to South Africa while the visitors are making their first appearance in this year’s tournament.

Match preview

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Since winning the T20 World Cup back in 2014, Sri Lanka have fallen off the radar in recent years and look likely to face a challenging task to emerge from this group, which also features the Netherlands, Nepal and South Africa.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first in their opening match, the Lions were taken apart by the Proteas, as they managed just 77 runs before being bowled out in 19.2 overs, with none of their batsmen posting a score of more than 20 runs.

A major problem that the Sri Lankans have faced in recent years has been their lack of batting depth and that was clearly evident again in their opening match with Wanindu Hasaranga, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka contributing just six runs as a collective in the middle-order.

However, while their struggles with the bat are evident, the Lions would have taken some positives from their bowling performance, which, despite having only 77 runs to defend, managed to take the game to 17th over and knocked over four wickets in the process.

Although they lost their opening match, Sri Lanka will enter this contest with confidence, having won four of their last five matches against this opponent, including a series win in Bangladesh earlier this year.

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Meanwhile, Bangladesh have arguably had the best warm-up campaign of any side at the T20 World Cup this year, having arrived in the US early and played a series against the hosts to better prepare and adapt to the conditions.

Unfortunately, their performances during their prep games have been far from impressive, as they lost the series against the US 2-1, with their sole victory coming in a match that saw the co-hosts of this tournament rest several of their first-team players.

Thereafter, the Tigers were easily outdone by India in their final warm-up match, and now enter the main competition having won only one of their last four T20 games, including a nine-run defeat to Zimbabwe at the start of last month.

While Tanzid Tamim has been a breath of fresh air, scoring three half-centuries in his first seven games, a recurring issue the side has experienced in recent times has been their top-order’s inability to lay a platform for them to build on, with the likes of Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and Nazmul Hossain Shantoof misfiring miserably this year.

Nonetheless, Bangladesh are never a side to underestimate and have more than enough class and experience in their ranks, such as Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan, who will need to step up and provide Najmul Hossain Shanto some much-needed support as he undertakes his first ICC tournament as the new captain.

Team News

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Kusal Mendis stamped his authority on last year’s 50-over World Cup in India and will be hoping to do the same in the Caribbean. The right-handed batter has scored nearly 1,200 runs in this World Cup cycle, nearly 500 more than the next Sri Lankan.

Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka will bring huge experience as seam-bowling all-rounders, while captain Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage should provide the spin-bowling alternatives.

For Bangladesh, vice-captain Taskin Ahmed has been flagged as an injury doubt in the lead-up to this weekend’s fixture, and his fitness is expected to be assessed prior to the final team announcement.

Right-hander Towhid Hridoy has been tipped to have a good competition, coming off the back of two 400+ run seasons in the typically low-scoring Bangladesh Premier League, where he was striking at over 150 against pace bowling.

Sri Lanka squad: Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka.

Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Kumer Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.

Series so far

Sri Lanka

Match One: Sri lanka lost by 6 wickets
Sri Lanka – 77 (19.1)
South Africa – 80/4 (16.2)

Bangladesh

Bangladesh are playing their first match of the competition.

© PA Photos

We say: Sri Lanka to win

While Sri Lanka’s opening match against the Proteas was well below expectations, the experience would have been invaluable and they will have a much better understanding of how to navigate the pitches and conditions here, which have proven difficult for even the best teams in the competition.

With two well-matched sides going head to head here, it would not surprise us if this match went down to the wire, but we are backing the Lions to come out on top and register their first points of the tournament.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between New Zealand and Afghanistan, scheduled to be played at Providence Stadium on Saturday.

New Zealand will get their 2024 ICC T20 World Cup campaign underway this weekend when they take on Afghanistan at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Saturday morning.

These two sides faced each other once in the shortest format back in 2021 and the Black Caps won that encounter fairly comfortably by eight wickets and with 11 balls to spare.

Match preview

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Group C is widely considered the toughest in the tournament this year and New Zealand have been handed about the worst fixture list they could have received facing Afghanistan and West Indies in their first two matches.

On top of that, the Black Caps’ preparation for the competition was far from ideal, with rain restricting them to just two full training sessions, which included in-game scenarios in the absence of warm-up matches.

Gary Stead‘s side could have scheduled warm-up matches but chose not to, as their squad only fully assembled on Sunday with the arrival of Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson.

New Zealand’s last competitive T20 match ended in a nine-run defeat to Pakistan back in April, which ended a five-match series level at 2-2 after the opening match was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Still, despite their setbacks, the Black Caps always turn up at these types of tournaments and are no strangers to reaching the latter stages, having made semi-final appearances in the previous edition of this competition and the 50-over format last year.

© Reuters

Meanwhile, Afghanistan came into the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 as a potential dark horse following an impressive ODI World Cup campaign in India, where they finished ahead of former champions England and Sri Lanka.

Since their debut in 2010, the Blue Tigers have reached the Super Eight stage in each of the last three editions of this tournament, which illustrates the steady improvement they have made over the years following first-round exits in their first three attempts.

With Jonathan Trott in the dugout alongside bowling coach Dwayne Bravo, the Afghans got off to the perfect start in this year’s competition, romping to a 125-run victory against tournament newcomers Uganda on Tuesday.

Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (76) and Ibrahim Zadran (70) forged a remarkable 154-run opening partnership, the second-highest in men’s T20 World Cup history, surpassed only by the 170 by England’s Jos Buttler and Alex Hales in 2022.

However, the standout performer of the match was Fazalhaq Farooqi, who shone with five wickets for a mere nine runs as Uganda collapsed to the fourth-lowest total in T20 World Cup history.

While the Blue Tigers will be brimming with confidence, the one criticism the side have faced is that their recent run of form has come against non-Test-playing nations, and it will be interesting to see how they fare here in their first proper challenge since their 2-1 series loss to Sri Lanka back in February.

Team News

© Reuters

Finn Allen has been labelled as one to watch in this year’s tournament. The right-hander’s ability in the first half of the innings is remarkable, with his powerplay strike rate of 149 in the current World Cup cycle being the highest of any player in T20 history.

The Black Caps will be led on the field by the experience of skipper Kane Williamson, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, while Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne are sidelined from the lineup due to injuries.

Afghanistan are likely to remain unchanged after their first-match performance and will look to the dynamic duo of Gurbaz and Zadran to lay the foundation at the top of the innings again.

Rashid Khan delivered an excellent 2/12 and Naveen-ul-Haq picked up 2/4 in two overs against Uganda both will need to support the opening pair of Farooqi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to keep the Black Caps’ formidable top order at bay.

New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee

Afghanistan squad: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik

Series so far

New Zealand

New Zealand are playing their first match of the competition.

Afghanistan

Match One: Afghanistan won by 125 runs
Afghanistan – 183/5 (20)
Uganda – 58 (16)

© PA Photos

We say: Afghanistan to win

While New Zealand are the higher-ranked side, their preparation coming into this tournament has been far from ideal, and the pitches in the Caribbean so far have proven to be anything but straightforward.

This match will give us a clearer indication of what to expect from the Black Caps in this competition, but we feel that they may just suffer an against-the-odds defeat in this one.

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Amit Mishra (second right) gestures towards the pavillion after taking five wickets during the fifth ODI against NZ. (AFP Photo)…

Amit Mishra floored New Zealand with his second five-wicket-haul in ODIs. (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: India needed to defend 270 runs in order to win their first major bilateral ODI series in two years. And as it turned out, did so without breaking a sweat. In one of the worst batting collapses in recent memory, New Zealand dished out a rather sub-standard performance, and from 63/2, lost their final eight wickets for all of 16 runs.
Yes, you read that right.India ran a demolition derby over New Zealand to win the decider at Visakhapatnam by a whopping 190 runs, their fourth-largest win in ODIs in terms of runs. New Zealand were overwhelmed by the Indian spinners and folded for 79, their fifth-lowest total in ODIs. Amit Mishra led the pack with a second five-wicket-haul that earned him the Man-of-the-Match award. He was also named Man of the Series for picking up 15 wickets.
The opening act of the win was set by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who struck crucial half-centuries at two equally pivotal stages of the innings after MS Dhoni called it right at the toss and decided to bat first. New Zealand, as it panned out, scored only 9 more than Rohit’s 70. An indication how clueless their batting was. Only three batsmen reached double figures and five registered ducks.
In an even first innings, India put up three valuable partnerships and New Zealand broke it when it mattered. India however, were pleased to get to 269/6 due to slog-over heroics from Kedar Jadhav and Axar Patel after the game seemed to be going either way at a stage. Four of the five matches at Vizag have been won by the side chasing. Not this time though.
India were given an early advantage when Umesh Yadav removed Martin Guptill for his second duck of the series. It was almost a replay of his dismissal at the Kotla – a perfect away swinger which clipped Guptill’s thigh pad and crashed onto the stumps. On other occasions, Umesh was full and Tom Latham, confident of the form he’s been in, drove him handsomely for a couple of boundaries early on before the two-paced nature of the surface got the better of him.
Kane Williamson did the same. What stands out about him is his foot movement – rarely is he seen stuck while playing his shots. With back-to-back boundaries off Jasprit Bumrah, Williamson was beginning to look authoritative but his little charge was halted by Axar Patel who was immaculate with his wicket-to-wicket line. A half-hearted loft towards long off saw the back of him. Ross Taylor struggled for the most part of his innings as well and offered a feather to Dhoni going for a cut.
And that opened the floodgates. Mishra foxed BJ Watling with a dream googly, and followed it with the wickets of Jimmy Neesham and Tim Southee in the next over. Neesham dismissal was a ripped with the ball turning viciously to take his off stump, while Dhoni completed yet another lightning quick stumping – of Southee. With New Zealand falling like a pack of cards, debutant Jayant Yadav had his moment in the sun, trapping Corey Anderson leg before for his maiden international wicket.
Ish Sodhi top edged to Rahane and gave Mishra his fifth.
Earlier, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane gave India their slowest start of the series – 45 runs in the first 10 overs. They got the odd boundary but lacked fluency in the overall scoring. Rahane initially cracked two fours in two overs to settle things but was later bogged down. Batting wasn’t easy – the balls mostly came slower off the surface. Southee and Trent Boult did well to roll their fingers over the ball.
Its reward went to Neesham, who had Rahane chipping to midwicket. Williamson did the right thing by introducing Mitchell Santner and Sodhi which tightened things. Even the arrival of Virat Kohli didn’t help much and India were reduced to scoring less than five an over. It was more of a caution by choice.
In between, Rohit timed a couple of good hits – a six over long off and a boundary towards square leg. The floodgates though really opened when Rohit advanced to Sodhi and sent him over the sidescreen. Having twisted his ankle while diving for a single, he accelerated the innings with poised support from Kohli. With a cracking cut, Rohit brought up his 29th fifty in ODIs. A forward punch for six off Neesham stood out.
With Rohit connecting and finding the boundaries, Kohli bided his time. Oddly enough, the gap between his first and second boundary was 11 overs. Such was the difficulty India faced. The batsmen were helped by a dropped chance each. Rohit, going for one shot too many, miscued a Boult bouncer to find Neesham.
Kohli, who attempted at breaking the shackles in the 30th over from Sodhi. He dispatched the legspinner over the long-off boundary and MS Dhoni followed it up with a four. The re-introduction of seamers helped India’s run-scoring. And for a change, it was Dhoni reaping the benefit of it. He targeted the area between square leg and fine leg, and scored three four in that direction. Dhoni and Kohli brought up the fifty-run stand, but just when it seemed they were setting the stage for a flourishing finish, Dhoni missed a sweep and was trapped leg-before by Santner.
New Zealand then hit back. Manish Pandey slogged to Sodhi four balls later. Kohli had to fight hard for his 38th ODI fifty, but perished in order to lift the scoring. That India somewhat recovered to reach the score they did from 220 owed to a gutsy effort from Jadhav. He got three fours and a six at the dying stages of the innings. He and Axar added 46 in 39 balls to give India what seemed a slight edge at the innings break.
Brief scores:India 269/6 (Rohit Sharma 70, Virat Kohli 65; Trent Boult 2/52) beatNew Zealand 79 all out (Williamson 27; Mishra 5/18) by 190 runs to win series 3-2.
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Dhoni during a practice session in Vishakhapatnam. (AP Photo) VISAKHAPATNAM: The main focus at the Dr YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium practice arena was on India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was seen taking tennis ball throwdowns, to get used to the bounce of the pitch on the eve of the series-deciding fifth and final game against New Zealand on Saturday.
After that Dhoni faced the conventional white ball and practised his trademark shots in a lengthy session at the nets.
A fit-again pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the last ODI in Ranchi, bowled with vigour as eight Indian players turned up for the optional practice session.
The weather remained bright and sunny, clearing any apprehension of a downpour due to cyclone Kyant, which has subsided.
Head coach Anil Kumble engaged in a long one-on-one session with Kedar Jadhav, who has stunned many with his exploits, picking up six wickets from four matches.
The series poised at 2-2, India’s other top-order batsmen — Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli — stayed away from the nets.
Included in place of Bumrah in the last one-day international, Dhawal Kulkarni bowled full and lacked control in Ranchi, conceding 8.42 runs per over for his 1/57 as New Zealand got off to a splendid start.
With Bumrah looking fit, he may be brought back into the playing XI on Saturday.
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