Mens T20 Emerging Asia Cup 2024 2nd Semi-Final, AF A vs IND A Match Prediction: Who Will Win Today's Match?

India A celebrate a wicket. [Source: @ACCMedia1/X]

In a year where the senior teams have already locked horns four times, Afghanistan A and India A will face-off against each other in the second semi-final of the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 on October 25. With the senior team yet to defeat India in an international match, Afghanistan A would be looking to grab bragging points by knocking out India A in Al Amerat on Friday.

However, there is no hiding from the fact that it’s easier said than done for the Afghans against the only unbeaten team in the tournament. In sheer terms of international matches, some Afghan players outnumber their Indian counterparts but the Indians’ Indian Premier League experience sets them apart by quite a distance.

Afghanistan A Must Move On From Hong Kong Defeat

Having announced themselves on the back of victories against Sri Lanka A and Bangladesh A batting first and second respectively, Afghanistan A found themselves on the wrong end of the result against Hong Kong. Interestingly, played six years ago, the last international match between these two teams had also resulted in a victory for Hong Kong.

IND A Vs OMN Highlights: Ayush Badoni, Tilak Varma Dismantle Oman To Stay Unbeaten In Group B

Winning Momentum With India A

Only team to get to six points in the league stage, Tilak Varma’s India A would be keen to win their fourth match in a row in a bid to move a step closer towards the silverware. India A, who experimented a bit with their combination against Oman, are expected to return to a first-choice Playing XI.

Swashbuckling Indian batters, however, will have to be a tad bit more cautious against Afghanistan spinners namely Qais Ahmad and Nangeyalia Kharote. Ahmad, in particular, knows a thing or two about foxing top-quality attacking batters due to his stints in the Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League, Big Bash League, Lanka Premier League, Pakistan Super League, The Hundred, T20 Blast and International League T20.

With Ayush Badoni continuing on from his Delhi Premier League form, India A have received a shot in the arm with respect to their middle-order. In Nehal Wadhera and Ramandeep Singh, they have a solid core who could cash-in on all-rounder Abhishek Sharma’s likely head-start.

How Will the Al Amerat Cricket Ground Pitch Behave?

It shouldn’t be news to anyone that spinners will dictate terms at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground Ministry Turf 1. However, unlike the first semi-final between Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A, pacers would get some assistance from the surface under lights. Readers must note that India’s Top-Three wicket-takers of the tournaments are pacers.

AF A vs IND A: Predicted Toss Result

Another dissimilarity between the two semi-finals is how both Afghanistan and India have won matches while setting and defending a total. As a result, predicting the toss result wouldn’t be as straightforward as the Pakistan-Sri Lanka clash. That said, one still expects the captain winning the toss to bat first in a knockout contest.

AF A vs IND A: Players To Watch Out For

Afghanistan A

Batters: Sediqullah Atal, Zubaid Akbari
All-rounders: Karim Janat
Bowlers: Qais Ahmad, Nangeyalia Kharote, Abdul Rahman

India A

Batters: Tilak Varma, Ayush Badoni
All-rounders: Abhishek Sharma, Ramandeep Singh
Bowlers: Rasikh Salam, Anshul Kamboj

AFG A vs IND A: Match Prediction

AFG A vs IND A Predicted Score

Predicted first innings score: 150-165

Predicted second innings score: 130-145

Predicted Result: Irrespective of whether they bat first or not, India are expected to stage a victory in this match.

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