T20WC Preview: SA vs BAN

In-form South Africa take on a struggling Bangladesh in the 30th game of ICC World T20 2021. South Africa has won 2 out of 3 games and they will look to win this game and strengthen their chances for the semi-finals. Bangladesh on the other hand, are already out of the semis race and will look to play for pride and win their remaining games in the tournament.

South Africa, on the back of David Miller’s masterclass won their last game against Sri Lanka in the last over. The bowling unit is the biggest strength for the Proteas in this tournament. Anrich Nortje and Tabrez Shamsi have been the consistent performers for them while Dwaine Pretorious has done really well in the last two games. Kagiso Rabada is yet to put in a significant performance with the ball but hasn’t been dismissed in the last 9 innings.

Batting unit’s inconsistency is an area of concern for South Africa as apart from Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen none of the batters have shown good form and consistency. Miller’s clutch performance in the last game will certainly boost the morale of the team, but other batters like Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma need to take responsibility. Reeza Hendricks has shown signs of good form and will be important at the top as well.

Bangladesh has been terrible in the Super 12 round, losing all the 3 games they’ve played. Apart from the first game their batting has been disappointing and the biggest reason for their poor performance. The likes of Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim has been very poor in the last two games. Mahmudullah too hasn’t looked that impressive. Their bowlers have been average till now. Mustafizur Rahman hasn’t lived up to his reputation but Mahedi Hasan has done well.

Probable XI

Bangladesh: Naim, Liton Das, Sarkar, Rahim, Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Mahedi, Shamim, Shoriful Islam, Taskin, Mustafizur

South Africa: de Kock, Hendricks, Dussen, Bavuma, Markram, Miller, Pretorius, Rabada, Maharaj, Nortje, Shamsi

Pitch Report

This will be a day game at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Run scoring has been tough here, especially in the first innings. Pacers will get good bounce off the wicket while spinners will be in the game because of the hot conditions and the big boundaries. 150 will be an excellent score on this pitch. Teams won’t hesitate to chase after winning the toss.

Head To Head

Overall: SA lead 6-0
In T20WC: SA lead 1-0
 

Matchups

de Kock vs Mustafizur: 42 runs at SR 191, no dismissals
Soumya vs Rabada: 6 runs for 1 dismissal
Rahim vs Left Arm Spin: Average 19, SR 97
Mahmudullah vs Left Arm Spin: Average 17, SR 82
Miller vs Left Arm Pace: Average 42, SR 165
de Kock vs Left Arm Pace: Average 42, SR 129
Markram vs Left Arm Pace: Average 13, SR 102

Key Players
 

South Africa

• Anrich Nortje: Anrich Norte has been phenomenal with the ball for the Proteas. He has picked 5 wickets in three games at an excellent economy of 5.16. Nortje bowls a heavy ball and Bangladeshi batters may find it difficult against him due to his high pace and bounce.
   
• Aiden Markram: Aiden Markram has been the best batter for the Proteas in the tournament. He has scored 110 runs in 3 innings at an average of 55. Markram is looking in great form and he’ll look to continue his form in the upcoming games as well.
   
• Tabrez Shamsi: Shamsi has been in excellent form for quite some time now and will look to exploit the conditions in this game against Bangladesh. He picked 3 wickets in the last game and has picked 4 wickets in the tournament so far. Shamsi will play a crucial role in the middle-overs.

Bangladesh

• Mushfiqur Rahim: Mushfiqur Rahim will be very important for Bangladesh, especially in Shakib's absence. The wicket-keeper batsman has failed to perform in the last two games. He will be the senior-most player in this game for his side and there will be a lot of expectations from him. Mushfiqur has scored 143 runs at an average of 28.60 in 6 games.
   
• Mahmudullah: Skipper Mahmudullah too will need to take the onus on himself now and lead from the front with the bat. Mahmudullah hasn't been bad, but a match-winning performance is due from him in the Super 12 round. He got close but failed to take his team over the line in the last game. Mahmudullah has 150 runs at an average of 37.50 in 6 games so far.
   
• Mustafizur Rahman: "The Fizz", has been out of form in the Super 12 round. Mustafizur has failed to pick wickets which is a big concern for Bangladesh. He has picked only 2 wickets in the Super 12 round and that was in the last game against the West Indies. Mustafizur's form is a big reason for Bangladesh's failure in the World T20.

Dream11 Prediction
 

Top Captain Picks

• Aiden Markram
• Anrich Nortje
• Dwaine Pretorius (Bowling First)
• Rassie van der Dussen
• Mushfiqur Rahim (Risky)
• Kagiso Rabada (Risky)