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Get ready for an electric showdown as Afghanistan take on Ireland on 15th March in the 1st T20I of their 3 T20I series, set to take place at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. The match gets underway at 04:00 PM GMT / 08:00 PM LOCAL, promising a exciting cricketing action. Afghanistan team will be riding high on confidence as they step into the T20 series on Tuesday, after having dominated the ODI series against Ireland, whom they rolled over 2-0 in Sunday’s enthralling decider to seal a whopping 117-run win. Led by Mohammad Nabi’s spin wizardry and Nangeyalia Kharote’s all-round debut heroics, Afghanistan successfully defied the Englishmen to defend 237 in the final ODI, shooting Ireland down for 119.
Having narrowly lost the first ODI and then seen the second abandoned, Ireland wanted to level the series in their third and final match before three T20Is get underway later in the week. However, on that flip side, Ireland will still be ruing what might have been in the ODI series. The team’s showings were horrific, no – but they were far from outclassed. With the likes of Paul Stirling and Curtis Campher to the fore, they displayed fleeting moments of what might be, but ultimately they came up just short against a formidable line-up in Afghanistan. As the teams transition to the T20 format Ireland will be keen to regroup and present themselves as a strong challenge against their opponents.
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah is known for being a batting paradise, suiting both batsmen and bowlers, still more favorable for the batters. Based on historical data, the captain winning the toss usually likes to bat first, taking advantage of the pitch’s past behavior. Despite its reputation as a batsman’s heaven, the early hours of play will offer assistance to pace bowlers who will enjoy the pace and bounce on offer, with swing also likely to play a part, adding to the difficulties for the batsmen, bringing a bowler or two into the game. The current weather conditions at Sharjah are such that the temperature is a pleasant 25°C, with humidity at 50%, wind speed of 19km/hr, with very little cloud cover at 5%, which should make for a very interesting contest between the bat and ball.
Out of the 23 matches played, Afghanistan emerged victorious in 16 encounters, while Ireland secured victory in 7 matches, with no matches ending in no result or a draw.
The live streaming in India of Afghanistan vs Ireland, 1st T20I will be telecasted on FanCode.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Akhil, Noor Ahmad, Qais Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Ireland: Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, Craig Young, Graham Hume, Theo van Woerkom
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