World Cup 2023, Match 13 | England Predicted XI vs Afghanistan 

image-lnqztt3pEngland will be playing against Afghanistan in the 13th match of the World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)

Matches are coming thick and fast in the 2023 World Cup and game no. 13 will see England lock horns with Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. The game is slated to begin at 2:00 PM IST. 

England kicked off their campaign with a loss against New Zealand but made a strong comeback by toppling the Bangladesh side. The bating has gelled well so far in the tournament for them. However, the management would want the lower middle-order and bowlers to get one step further than the counterparts. 

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On the other hand, Afghanistan suffered two major losses at the start of the mega-event and are yet to secure their first win. They played the last game here in Delhi against India but failed to showcase the potential. Despite having at par runs on the board, the bowlers were outdone by Rohit Sharma and co.

The Afghanistan side will look to get their first hands of victory in the tournament while England will aim to surge high in the points table. Let us have a quick look at England's predicted XI for the upcoming clash against Afghanistan.


Openers: Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow

There's no reason why England would tinker with their opening combination. Dawid Malan is a fantastic player of both pace and spin. He piled up a century in their last match against Bangladesh and offers stability at the top of the batting order. Malan's partner in crime, Bairstow is a powerhouse in itself and loves to take on the opposition. He's a hard hitting machine and is in good touch with the bat in hand.


Middle Order: Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler

England's middle order is going to be anchored by Joe Root and Jos Buttler. The two experienced players are very well aware of playing the situation and building an innings. There were concerns about Root's form in the ODI format ahead of the World Cup but the former English captain has replied to the critics with back-to-back half-centuries to kick off his World Cup campaign.

The no. 4 spot is likely to be filled by Harry Brook until Ben Stokes is fit enough to represent the side. He's a dynamic batter and is an epitome of Baz-Ball. The skipper, Buttler generally follows him with the bat in hand and was in good touch with the bat during the recently concluded New Zealand series.


All-rounders: Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Chris Woakes

Sam Curran had a brilliant domestic season with Surrey and Oval Invincibles with the bat as well as with the ball. But he has failed to transpire the same momentum into the World Cup. He has the potential to deliver and shall be backed by the management. He is likely to be partnered by Liam Livingstone and Chris Woakes in the XI.

Livingstone is a floater in the side and has ability to bring quick runs in the scoreboard. He was seen scoring some impactful half-centuries against New Zealand in the recently concluded white ball bilateral series. Woakes made a good comeback against Bangladesh in his second spell and is the go-to option with the new ball alongside Reece Topley.


Bowlers: Reece Topley, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood

Reece Topley was breathtaking with the new ball in the last game against Bangladesh. The left-arm pacer gets the nice curve away from the left-handers and brings it back into the right hander with the white new cherry. He scalped a four-for in the last game and should be a part of the XI.

Potential candidates to operate with the soft ball are Adil Rashid and Mark Wood. Both of them generally deliver in the second and third powerplay. Rashid is likely to get some turn here while Wood will look to bring his A game back with some extra zip off the surface.


England Predicted XI vs Afghanistan

Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, Reece Topley, Adil Rashid, and Mark Wood.