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We could easily say that this is the best World Cup tournament for Afghanistan. Afghanistan has won 3 out of six and is sitting in sixth position in the points table above Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. They’ve beaten England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, these three teams are world Champion teams. It is the first ODI World Cup in which Afghanistan has a chance to qualify for the knockout if they win 2 out of their 3 games. The way Afghanistan cricket has grown up since 2015 it seems that this Asian country will be a big power in World Cup cricket. Today in Afg vs Ned if Afghanistan registers another win they’re going to increase their chances for qualification in knockouts. On the other hand Netherlands has also won two great matches against big teams(South Africa, and Bangladesh) but they have very less chances to qualify for the knockouts.
Afg vs Ned is going to be the most important game for Afg they have to win this to stay alive in the race of qualification. The Netherlands will play without fear of losing anything so they could be a more dangerous side than Afghanistan. Both teams have faced each other in 9 ODI games where Afghanistan has totally dominated the Netherlands with a 7-2, Dutch team wasn’t able to beat Afghanistan since 2012. Both teams will face each other in the World Cup for the first time today, will Afghanistan continue the streak or the Netherlands will be able to register their twin in the first game of the World Cup Asia team and break the streak? Many players from both teams are in good form in this tournament and they could be the reason for their team’s another win. In this article, we’ll see about five players who could be the top performers in today’s game.
Scott Edwards
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Netherlands’s captain Scott Edwards has performed inconsistently in this tournament but he has scored some crucial knocks against Bangladesh and South Africa which led his team to win both games. He is the highest run-scorer in Afg vs Ned games among active players. He has 208 runs in 3 games with fifty-plus scores in every game. Scott loves to bat in big games so he could be the top performer in today’s game. He has scored 204 runs in 6 games in this ongoing tournament. He is also doing great work behind the wickets with 11 catches and two stumps.
Rahmat Shah
Aghani middle-order batter Rahmat Shah could be the batter to look out for the Netherlands. He scored a crucial half-century while chasing against Sri Lanka in their third win. Rahmat Shah is the highest run scorer in ODI for Afghanistan. Against the Netherlands, he scored 153 runs with 1 half-century. Rahmat Shah is in decent form in this World Cup he has scored 212 runs in six games with two fifty-plus scores. Rahmat will be a delight to watch while batting against the Netherlands.
Hasmattullah Shahidi
Afghanistan’s Captain Hasmatullah Shahidi is the highest scorer for Afghanistan in this World Cup yet. He has scored 226 runs in 6 games with three big scores(80, 48*, and 58*). He has been in good form in this tournament and he has also impressed everyone with his captaincy. Afghanistan has taken over three big teams (England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan) in this World Cup under his Captaincy. Unfortunately, Hasmattullah hasn’t scored any triple-digit scores in this setup, so he will look for the first one today against the Netherlands.
Paul Van Meekeran
Netherlands’s bowler Paul is the second-highest wicket-taker for the Netherlands in this tournament. He has taken 10 wickets in six games. Meekeran is going to face Afghanistan in the ODI for the first time and he will try to take on them with his awesome deliveries. Paul is going to be the biggest threat to Afghani batters in today’s game.
Rashid khan
Spin wizard Rashid Khan may not have taken many wickets in this tournament but the aura he holds in himself is seen on batters face while he’s bowling. He has just seven wickets in 6 games but still, he is the highest wicket-taker for Afghanistan in World Cup 2023. He is the highest wicket taken for Afghanistan in this format and internationally also. He has played just 3 games against the Dutch team and has picked 6 wickets. He is going to add some wickets to his bucket.
