The ICC World Cup 2023 is gearing up for another showdown as the Netherlands and Afghanistan prepare to face off in a high-stakes must-win ODI. This crucial clash will take place at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on November 3, marking the 34th match of the tournament. The action is set to kick off at 2:00 PM IST.
The Netherlands have managed to secure victory in two out of their six matches, most notably triumphing in their previous encounter against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens. They also pulled off an impressive win against South Africa, despite not being considered strong contenders for a spot in the semi-finals.
In their recent match, the Netherlands set a target of 229 runs while batting first, with skipper Scott Edwards leading the charge by contributing a valuable half-century (68 off 89 balls). Their bowlers, led by Paul van Meekeren, were relentless in their pursuit, as they bowled out Bangladesh for just 142 runs in response. Meekeren’s remarkable figures of 4/23 played a pivotal role in the Netherlands’ 87-run victory.
On the other side, Afghanistan has big aspirations in the World Cup, with three wins out of six matches under their belt. They find themselves not too far from the coveted fourth position and brimming with confidence after defeating some formidable opponents.
In their most recent showdown against Sri Lanka, Afghanistan displayed their prowess by limiting the Lankans to 241 runs in 49.3 overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi’s exceptional performance earned him four wickets. The Afghan batsmen, led by Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, and Azmatullah Omarzai, delivered strong performances, with all three scoring half-centuries. They achieved the target in 45.2 overs and secured a seven-wicket victory.
Netherlands squad:
Netherlands: Max O’Dowd, Teja Nidamanuru, Wesley Barresi, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Vikramjit Singh, Noah Croes (wk), Scott Edwards (c&wk), Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Paul van Meekeren, Ryan Klein, Shariz Ahmad
Afghanistan squad:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Abdul Rahman, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor