Can Rashid Khan Help Afghanistan Realise Their Dreams? SWOT, Team Rating, Prediction

Afghanistan team ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 [X]

We are just days away from the start of the T20 World Cup 2024. This will be a historic event in the cricketing arena, as it will be the first to feature a 20-team format. 

While teams like India, Pakistan, England, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand will be serious contenders for the title, there will be some dark horses like - West Indies, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. In this article, we will analyse the Afghanistan squad and try to predict their fate in the tournament.

Before we dive into a deeper analysis, let's examine the Afghanistan squad for the T20 World Cup 2024.

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Afghanistan Squad for T20 World Cup

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik

Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi

Strengths Of Afghanistan For T20 World Cup 2024

Strong and settled top order

The team's opening pair, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have been doing this job for a long time. They are well acquainted with each other's playing styles and complement each other greatly. Gurbaz and Zadran will be followed by Azmatullah Omarzai, who has been a part of the national team for a long time. These three batters give the Afghan top-order a stable and solid look, promising them good starts in most matches.

Plethora of all-rounders

Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti and Rashid Khan add dynamism and flexibility to the Afghanistan team's composition. These players can be effective contributors with both bat and ball. The presence of such a wide variety of all-rounders will allow the skipper to use his resources as per the demands of the game and playing conditions. 

Quality of spinners

Rashid Khan will be leading Afghanistan in T20 World Cup 2024 [X]

The Afghanistan team's spin department consists of Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman. There is a lot of variety in this department for the team. You will find all sorts of spinners in this lineup. 

Besides the variety, the department has a lot of experience. Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman are T20 pros who play the format in different leagues worldwide throughout the year. The experience they have earned in these leagues is priceless. Therefore, the spin department is not only a strength for Afghanistan but probably their biggest strength.

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Weaknesses Of Afghanistan For T20 World Cup 2024

Lack of temperament in the middle-order

After a settled top order of Gubraz, Ibrahim, and Omarzai, players like Gulbadin Naib, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, and Karim Janat will follow in the middle order. These batters have great potential but lack the temperament to bail out the team under pressure. The middle order's failure in crunch situations is one of the team's most significant weaknesses. 

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Opportunities For Afghanistan In T20 World Cup 2024

Punch above their weight

Afghanistan is in Group C of the tournament, alongside New Zealand, West Indies, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea. With their squad, Afghanistan is expected to defeat Uganda and Papua New Guinea. However, they must win against West Indies or New Zealand to make it into the next round. Not many regular cricketing fans, followers, and analysts will be betting on the Afghans in these clashes. So, it will be a big opportunity for them to prove their critiques wrong, win this game, and make it to the next round. 

Threats For Afghanistan In T20 World Cup 2024

Lack of game awareness

The senior members have often shown a lack of game awareness in big matches, which has cost the team a lot in their cricketing journey. The lack of awareness led to their elimination in the last edition of the Asia Cup, and the team has witnessed many such blunders. Brain fades in crucial stages and could be a threat to the Afghan team during the upcoming marquee event. 

Team Report Card - Afghanistan

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Prediction For Afghanistan For T20 World Cup

With New Zealand and the West Indies in their group, it is hard to imagine Afghanistan going past the group stages. However, the T20 is a funny format, and with the squad they have, Afghanistan might pull up upsets and surprise the cricketing fraternity.