World Cup 2019, Match 31, Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Match Prediction: Who will win today's match

Two of the most improved teams of the decade, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will lock horns with each other in the 31st match of ICC World Cup 2019. With Sri Lanka's slim win over England, the doors to the final 4 have opened for Bangladesh and they will look to strengthen their candidature with a win over Afghanistan. The Blue Tigers are yet to win in the 2019 World Cup so far.

Looking at the form meter of the two sides, Bangladesh will have a ton of momentum heading into this encounter but Afghanistan pushed title contenders India to the finish line in their last game. The game will be played at the same venue where Gulbadin Naib's men played their previous encounter.

Given how the pitch played at the Ageas Bowl, it will be no surprise if the skippers look to bat first after winning the toss. The toss will be very crucial as both the teams have great spinners in their squad.

If Afghanistan bat first, 250-260 will be the score to reach for the Afghans. They have a solid bowling attack to defend the score. However, the Bangladesh bowling attack has the firepower to stop the Afghan batsmen under a total of 200. One can expect a score of around 210 to 220 if Afghanistan bat first.

In case Bangladesh gets a chance to bat first, anything above 240 will be a good score. With Shakib in dream form, one can back them up to set a target of around 260 for Afghanistan. We saw how they crumbled under pressure against India and Bangladesh have good bowlers to defend it.

Given the current form and experience of both squads, Bangladesh clearly has the upper hand in this exciting fixture. Expect Bangladesh to prevail.

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