In the upcoming One Day International (ODI) World Cup 2023, South Africa is set to face Afghanistan on Friday. The match will take place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. While South Africa has already reached the semi-finals, where they will face Australia, Afghanistan’s focus will be on another upset in this match. Afghanistan has defeated teams like England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in the World Cup 2023, showcasing exceptional performances, including a remarkable match against Australia.

Head to Head Records:

South Africa and Afghanistan have played only one ODI match before this encounter. In the World Cup match held in June 2019, South Africa emerged victorious by defeating Afghanistan by nine wickets. Afghanistan had been dismissed for just 125 runs, and South Africa easily won the match with Quinton de Kock’s half-century.

Changes in the Playing XI for South Africa against Afghanistan are possible, with Fehlukwayo and Klaasen potentially replacing certain players. On the other hand, Afghanistan might give Fazalhaq Farooqi a chance in place of Noor Ahmad.

Probable Playing XI for Both Teams:

South Africa:
Temba Bavuma (Captain), Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Fehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee

Afghanistan:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Ikram Alikhil, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq

Afghanistan, with 4 wins in 8 matches and 8 points, currently holds the sixth position in the World Cup standings. To qualify for the semi-finals, they need to win the match against South Africa by a margin of 438 runs. If they get a chance to bat later in the match, they may find themselves out of the semi-final race even before the match starts.