IRE vs AFG Dream11 prediction: 3 players you can pick as captain or vice-captain for today's 1st T20I – August 9, 2022
Ireland will host Afghanistan in the first T20I of their five-match series at the Civil Service Cricket Club on Tuesday, August 9.
Ireland lost their previous T20I series 0-2 against South Africa. The hosts have played some good cricket despite ending up on the wrong side of the results in recent times. They are expected to be well prepared coming into this series and will hope to change their fortunes.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan whitewashed Zimbabwe 3-0 in the last T20I series they were a part of. They appear to have a well-balanced squad and are fierce competitors as well.
Both teams will need their players to step up as they look to begin the series on a winning note. That said, here are three players whom you can pick as the captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team.
#3 Paul Stirling (IRE)
Paul Stirling has been a prolific run-getter for Ireland in the shorter format. He has been short of runs of late, which is a matter of concern for the hosts. However, he has immense experience and can get the team off to blazing starts when he gets himself going.
Stirling has scored 2940 runs from 109 T20Is at a decent strike-rate of 135.42. He also has a hundred and 20 half-centuries to his name so far.
Ireland will need the 31-year-old to fire at the top and he is certainly a player to watch out for.
#2 Najibullah Zadran (AFG)
Najibullah Zadran is a genuine power-hitter who can change the course of the game with his brilliant batting abilities. The left-hander was in top form in Afghanistan’s previous T20I series against Zimbabwe. He was their leading run-scorer with 103 runs from three matches at an average of 51.50 and a strike-rate of 137.33.
Najibullah has scored 1362 runs from 73 matches at an average of 34.05 and a strike-rate of 139.97. He is in fine touch at the moment, having scored plenty of runs in the Shpageeza Cricket League.
Zadran is a must-pick for your fantasy team and a key player for Afghanistan.
#1 Rashid Khan (AFG)
Rashid Khan picked up four wickets from three games in Afghanistan’s last T20I series against Zimbabwe. Rashid is highly experienced, having played for a number of franchises across various leagues around the world.
He has been a consistent performer, picking up 109 wickets from 61 matches at an average of 13, an economy-rate of 6.12 and a strike-rate of 12.7. Rashid is also equally capable with the bat and is known for his ability to score some crucial runs at a quick pace.
The 23-year-old is expected to be amongst the wickets once again and will play a key role for Afghanistan.