Rashid To Dismiss Klaasen; 3 Player Battles For SA Vs AFG T20 World Cup Match

Rashid Khan will hold the key for Afghanistan Vs SA [AP] Rashid Khan will hold the key for Afghanistan Vs SA [AP]

With a place in the final at stake, South Africa and Afghanistan will clash in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024. The match will be held at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad on Wednesday, November 10. The winner will advance to face either India or England in the final.

The journey so far

While South Africa has previously reached the semi-finals of a T20 World Cup, this marks Afghanistan's first appearance at this stage. Neither team has ever advanced to the final, making this a historic opportunity for both sides.

The pressure will be on South Africa. They’re the higher-ranked side, a team full of T20 globetrotters, and they’ll carry the extra burden of shedding the "chokers" tag. Along with India, South Africa remains unbeaten in the competition, though some of their victories have been narrow escapes.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, has enjoyed an impressive run in the tournament. They have defeated heavyweights like New Zealand and Australia, and their victory over Bangladesh secured their historic semi-final spot. 

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have been in outstanding form, making them the most successful opening pair of the tournament. However, Afghanistan's middle order has yet to make any sort of impact, a weakness South Africa will aim to exploit.

The match will be decided by the on-field battles between players, as fine margins will dictate the proceedings. Here we analyze the key player battles.

AFG Vs SA: Player Battles

Rashid Khan vs Heinrich Klaasen

Runs
Balls
Dismissals
Strike Rate
64342188.2

South Africa’s spin basher will be up against Afghanistan’s spin wizard. Not many players in the world can match Klaasen's spin-hitting prowess, but then not many bowlers can create magic like Rashid. Rashid has a great record against most right-handed batters, but not Klaasen. Klaasen has dominated their rivalry, scoring 64 runs off 34 balls at a blistering strike rate of 188.2.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Marco Jansen

Runs
Balls
Dismissals
Strike Rate
0
11-

Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been the standout batter in the tournament, scoring the most runs so far. For the Proteas to gain the upper hand, they need to dismiss Gurbaz early, and for that, they could turn to Marco Jansen, who enjoys bowling to right-handed batters. Gurbaz has only faced Jansen once, with the left-arm seamer getting him out on the first ball.

Quinton de Kock vs Naveen-ul-Haq

Quinton de Kock has blown hot and cold so far in the tournament. The southpaw hasn’t been at his absolute best but still poses a big threat to the Afghan bowling group. To get rid of the dangerous De Kock, Afghanistan can start with Naveen-ul-Haq, much like they did in the Australia game where he dismissed Travis Head. These two have faced each other quite a bit in the LSG nets in the IPL but not in a T20 game.