Afghanistan will lock horns against the Netherlands in the 34th match of the ongoing World Cup 2023 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Friday. The Afghan team has won three out of the six matches they have played whereas the Dutch have also managed two wins in their six games.

Afghanistan has proved their mettle in the ongoing ODI showpiece as they have beaten teams like England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Netherlands, on the other hand, has also impressed, beating the likes of South Africa and Bangladesh.

Afghanistan has won their last two matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka and they can be a contender for the semifinals if they continue the winning impetus.

More impressively, Afghanistan’s batting unit has taken the onus on their shoulders and they have come up with consistent performances with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi getting the job done.

While Afghanistan’s top order has impressed, it hasn’t been the same story for the Netherlands as their top order has failed to deliver. Scott Edwards has led from the front and he has done a fine job for the Dutch.

Match Prediction: Afghanistan will enter the contest as favorites against the Netherlands.

Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen ul Haq.

Netherlands squad: Scott Edwards (c), Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.