Chennai, February 18 Despite being eliminated after captivating the crowds with their resilience and spirited play, Afghanistan and Canada will face off in their final T20 World Cup match here on Thursday, aiming to finish on a high note and leave a lasting impression.
Afghanistan impressed fans during the unforgettable double Super Over thriller against South Africa in Ahmedabad, where they suffered a heartbreaking defeat.
Canada was fueled by the determination of teenager Yuvraj Samra, who captured the cricketing world's attention with his remarkable feat in Chennai, where he became the youngest ever to score a T20 century.
In their bid to bow out on a high, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan will rely on his trusted top-order batsmen – Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, and Gulbadin Naib – who have yet to perform well together in the World Cup. Their individual struggles have been one of the key reasons for the team's failure to advance.
Gurbaz's explosive 42-ball 84 against South Africa and Naib's 63 against New Zealand were among the few bright sparks from the Afghan batting lineup, and the hope now is that they can click together against a Canadian side that plays on instincts and is powered by the youthful energy of players like Samra.
Afghanistan will look to Azmatullah Omarzai to provide vital support, with the veteran pacer having taken eight wickets in three games, while Rashid Khan's googly remains a potent weapon capable of troubling any side.
For Canada, their main hope will rest on the opening pair of Samra and captain Dilpreet Bajwa, who combined for a century stand in their last game against New Zealand.
Canada has struggled to find a bowler who can break through the opposition's batting lineup, with pacers Jaskarn Singh, Dilon Heyliger, and Dilpreet failing to make a significant impact, which ultimately dampened their challenge in the tournament.
However, if they can find a spark with the ball, that could make Thursday's match an interesting contest.
Teams:
Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Darwish Rasooli, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Shahidullah, Ziaur Rahman.
Canada: Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Dilon Heyliger, Ajayveer Hundal, Jaskaran Singh, Kaleem Sana, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva, Ansh Patel, Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, Yuvraj Samra, Shivam Sharma, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Harsh Thaker.
Match starts at 7:00 pm.
