🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: Match 21: South Africa vs Bangladesh, New York.🏏

🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: Match 21: South Africa vs Bangladesh, New York @ 10:30 AM IST🏏

South Africa will face Bangladesh in their third match of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York today. 

South Africa have won both of their opening matches, defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in their first match and beating Netherlands by four wickets in the second. 

Bangladesh too began their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a two-wicket victory over Sri Lanka and would look to make it two in two. 

On this pitch,in the first three games, balls that bounced in the same spot were by no means certain to reach batters at more or less a consistent height. 

Couple that with plenty of swing and seam, and an outfield that refused to allow the ball free passage towards the boundary.

Even the kind of calmed down surface we saw on Saturday would keep the bowlers in the game more than they were in the run-soaked spectacle of this year's IPL. 

That should make for a better contest than we have seen in previous T20 World Cup games between these teams, which have been dominated by the South Africans.

The fact that neither batting line-up has put in a commanding performance in the three matches they have played so far - David Miller's 51-ball 59 not out against the Dutch is the only half-century scored by a Bangladesh or a South Africa player - also bodes well for those who want to see a decent game of cricket, not just another glut of runs.

Tag and Logo Credits" WildestDreams

Head to head in T20 World Cups: Bangladesh 0 - 3 South Africa

South Africa and Bangladesh have locked horns for eight times in the T20Is and the Proteas hold a significant advantage over Bangladesh, having won all eight of their T20I encounters against the Bangla Tigers.

Matches Played- 8
South Africa Won- 8
Bangladesh Won- 0

SA vs BAN T20 World Cup 2024 Match Probable Playing 11s

South Africa Probable Playing 11: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman

Bangladesh Probable Playing 11: Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das (wk), Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Tawhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman.

Today Match Prediction:

A win for South Africa would virtually secure their place in the Super Eight round of the ongoing ICC tournament. They have played both their matches in New York and their batters have struggled big time, whereas their bowlers have delivered good performances. Chasing a target of 78 on a sticky wicket in New York, the Proteas took 16.2 overs to secure victory against Sri Lanka, whereas against Netherlands at the same venue, they chased the 104-run target with seven balls to spare.

Bangladesh also narrowly defeated Sri Lanka on Saturday, taking 19 overs and losing eight wickets to chase down a target of 125.

Who Will Win?- Given that Bangladesh have never managed to win against South Africa, the chips are stacked heavily against them. Google’s win probability also indicates 74% chances of SA winning the match.

South Africa have notched up two wins in as many games but neither of them has been convincing. They started with a hard-fought six-wicket win against Sri Lanka in a low-scoring encounter. Chasing a target of 78 on a sticky wicket in New York, the Proteas took 16.2 overs. Aiden Markram and Co. followed it up with a four-wicket win against the Netherlands at the same venue. The Rainbow Nation reached the 104-run target with seven balls to spare.

Batting has been quite difficult and bowlers have found a lot of assistance. Batters will have to prepared to spend some time in the middle and grind hard for their runs. Chasing has yielded better results at this venue in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Probable Top Performers from SA vs BAN

Probable best batter: Tristan Stubbs

The young wicketkeeper-batter Tristan Stubbs came into the tournament on the back of a stellar IPL season, where he scored 378 runs in 14 matches at an average of 54 and a strike rate of 190.91. Here, the pitches have not been as good for batting as in the IPL but Stubbs has shown the eagerness to spend time in the middle and face the adverse conditions head-on. This could hold him in good stead on the difficult New York pitch.

Probable best bowler: Mustafizur Rahman

The cunning left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman also had an impressive IPL season, bagging 14 wickets in nine matches. He bowled really well against Sri Lanka in the opening game and finished with figures of 3/17 in his four overs. The Fizz will enjoy bowling on the New York track, where his cutters could be way more lethal than they already are.

Scenario 1

South Africa win the toss and opt to bowl first.

Powerplay Score: 35-45

First Innings Score: 130-140

South Africa win the match.

Scenario 2

Bangladesh win the toss and opt to bowl first.

Powerplay score: 40-50

First Innings Score: 150-160

South Africa win the match.

Team Watch:

Bangladesh

Hanging tough to beat Sri Lanka by two wickets with an over to spare would have done wonders for Bangladesh's resolve.

Tactics & Matchups: Like all teams fated to play in Nassau, Bangladesh will look to field first. And why not when you have match-winning bowlers like Mustafizur Rahman and Rishad Hossain.

South Africa

Finding ways to win both the games they have played at this troublesome venue can only steel the South Africans.

Tactics & Matchups: How the vaunted middle order of Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller cope with Bangladesh's skilled attack will likely decide the issue.

Did you know?

- At gametime Bangladesh will be one of three teams among the 20 at the tournament - Nepal and New Zealand are the others - who have played only one match.

- Rilee Rossouw's 56-ball 109 at the SCG in October 2022 is the only century scored in T20 World Cup games between these teams.

- Anrich Nortje's 4/10 in the same match is the best bowling performan 

What they said:

"We will have to come back with a new strategy [against South Africa]. There is no other way than to play good cricket. If the batters can contribute we will have something good." - Najmul Hossain Shanto after the tight win over Sri Lanka.

"We're playing pretty early in the day, so if there's anything in the pitch you want to take advantage of that. But if you end up on this kind of pitch looking to chase 150 or 130 it can be a daunting task." - David Miller after Saturday's match.

Thanks for the tag Madhu.

May the best team win.

Cheers..