The International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup 2022 is reaching a decisive stage as teams gear up for the final push for a place in the semifinal. With the business end approaching, Tuesday (November 1) will be a decisive game as England and New Zealand face off in a key battle at the Gabba. The day however will kickstart with Sri Lanka’s fixture against Afghanistan as the two teams try to keep their semifinal berth alive.
England and New Zealand set for Litmus test
England and New Zealand have had their fair share of high-profile meetings in recent years, and The Gabba plays hosts to another potential classic that could secure New Zealand’s place in the knockout stages.
A defeat to Ireland on DLS Method and a rained-off fixture with Australia have seen England drop three points from their opening three matches, meaning it’s now a case of win or bust for Jos Buttler and his side.
And they know that victory won’t come easy against an opponent who knocked them out of the last T20 World Cup a year ago in dramatic fashion, with Daryl Mitchell and Jimmy Neesham going big in the death overs to win the game.
Predicted Playing XI
England
Jos Buttler (c), Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
New Zealand
Devon Conway (wk), Finn Allen, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson
At what time will the England vs New Zealand match start?
The match will begin at 1:30 PM IST.
Sri Lanka and Afghanistan start day at Gabba
The equation is pretty simple for Afghanistan and Sri Lanka at the moment. They are occupying the bottom two spots in Group 1 with just two points to their names and, with both Australia and New Zealand having made their way to five points already, they will need to win both of their remaining encounters to stay alive in the semi-final race.
But only one team can emerge victorious from this contest, which means the losing team will be out of the final four race completely. Moreover, with rain threat looming large, there's a chance of both teams getting eliminated from contention if the match is a washout.
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Predicted Playing XIs
Afghanistan:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Sri Lanka:
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha
At what time will the Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan match start?
The match will begin at 9:30 AM IST on Tuesday.
