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Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and opted to bat against South Africa in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday in Ahmedabad.
Afghanistan has probably been the tournament's surprise package, with four thrilling victories propelling them to the knockout stages of the ICC World Cup 2023. Temba Bavuma-led side presents a formidable test for an Afghanistan team that now needs to find one more boost to finish the tournament on a good note after the Proteas raced into the semi-finals with big hitting and large totals that sent a warning shot across the rest of the tournament. Speaking at the time of toss, Hashmatullah Shahidi said, "We want to bat first. The surface looks like there will be spin in the second innings so we are batting first. We are unchanged. It was a tough game for us and we were hurt. Today, it is an important game of the World Cup for us." South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma said, "We have another chance to chase today and we want to do well. A strong Indian side put us under pressure with bat and ball. Tabraiz Shamsi and Marco Jansen have been rested today and Andile Phehlukwayo and Gerald Coetzee come into the side. I feel that it might skid on later. It might be a little slow to start with and there also might be a bit of dew in the evening." Afghanistan (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Ikram Alikhil(w), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad and Naveen-ul-Haq. South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Andile Phehlukwayo, David Miller, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. (ANI)
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