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AFG vs PNG: The next game in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 will take place between Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea. It is the match no. 29 which will be played in Group C at Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad. Afghanistan has certainly shown an incredible performance so far. With +5.225 NRR, Afghanistan has won two games by a big margin. That’s what they will be looking to do against PNG.
Afghanistan has beaten Uganda by 125 runs and New Zealand by 84 runs. They are one step away from a place in Super 8. If they beat PNG, they will qualify for Super 8. Meanwhile, PNG has lost two games that they have played. They will be looking for a good performance and register some good moments in the tournament. So let’s talk about the top three player battles, which we will watch during the AFG vs PNG game on Thursday.
Afghanistan vs Papua New Guinea Head to Head Records
The upcoming clash on Thursday will be the first game to take place between Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea in the game of cricket.
Top Three Player-battle in AFG vs PNG Clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Alei Nao
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been in red-hot form and has scored two match-winning formats. He has scored the most runs in the T20 World Cup 2024. He will be looking to score his third half-century in a row and take his team to another easy win. Hence, Gurbaz will come with all guns blazing in this game. But he has to negotiate the opening spell Alei Nao, who has been doing alright for PNG. The PNG pacer has taken 3 wickets at an economy rate of 4.16. He bowled well against West Indies and took early wickets. That’s what his job will be when he bowls to Gurbaz and other Afghan batters.
2. Sese Bau vs Fazalhaq Farooqi
Sese Bau is the top scorer for PNG in this tournament. The left-hander scored a brilliant fifty against West Indies but missed out against Uganda. But he showed that he belongs to this big stage. He is the backbone of the middle order for PNG and if Afghanistan can dismiss him early, then PNG will be under pressure. But his biggest challenge will be Fazalhaq Farooqi. The left-arm pacer has the most wickets with nine wickets in just two matches. He is swinging the ball well and taking regular wickets. Hence, he will be looking to dismiss PNG’s best batter and put them under pressure.
3. Ibrahim Zadran vs Assad Vala
Ibrahim Zadran is another Afghan batter who has done well for his team in the white-ball format. He has scored 114 runs in two innings at an average and strike rate of 57 and 131.03, respectively. His opening pair with Gurbaz makes Afghanistan a formidable team because they complement each other. These two have added back-to-back 100-run stands in two games. So PNG needs to find a way to dismiss Zadran early on because he is a bit easier to dismiss as compared to Gurbaz. That’s where the PNG skipper Assad Vala himself has to do some bowling. He has bowled well so far and taken three wickets at an economy rate of 6.33. Assad bowls wicket-to-wicket and it is not easy to hit him for big shots.
