Todays Match Prediction: The ICC T20 World Cup 2022 is off to a flying start in Australia. The tournament has already witnessed some magical moments and surprising results. The Asia Cup 2022 champions Sri Lanka had to endure a shocking loss against minnows Namibia in the first match of the tournament.
In addition, the two-time World Cup champions West Indies had to play the qualifiers first to enter the group stage of the tournament. Surprisingly, they lost to associate teams like Ireland and Scotland and are now out of the tournament.
Subsequently in the other big matches, the hosts and defending champions Australia suffered a huge loss to New Zealand in the first match of their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign. Meanwhile, India beat Pakistan in a last-over thriller in what could be the match of the tournament.
South Africa vs Bangladesh: Match Preview
South Africa, in particular, had an upsetting start to the T20 World Cup 2022. Their first game against Zimbabwe was washed out due to rain. The Proteas team well is on track to chase down the total in a rain-curtailed game, thanks to a blistering knock from the opener Quinton de Kock.
Zimbabwe scored 79/5 in a rain-curtailed 9-over game. In addition, South Africa scored 51/0 in just 3 overs, thanks to De Kock’s fierce inning. But eventually, the rain played spoilsport and the match was washed out. Due to the washout, the points were shared between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh started its T20 World Cup 2022 campaign on October 24 against the newly qualified Netherlands. They beat the Dutch team in a close-fought contest by 9 wickets, thanks to their premium pace bowler Taskin Ahmed who took 4 vital wickets.
South Africa, in particular, needs to win the game at all costs. It is because they later have to play top-ranked teams like India and Pakistan in the group stages to advance in the tournament. But they must not be complacent against a spirited Bangladesh team who are capable enough to beat any team on a given day.
South Africa vs Bangladesh: Match Predictions
Bangladesh and South Africa will face each other on 27 October 2022 at the Sydney Cricket Ground at 8:30 AM IST. The two teams have played 7 T20Is against each other. South Africa has won all 7 of those matches.
With the strength of their squad and head-to-head records, South Africa will start as favorites against Bangladesh. But, they must not take Bangladesh lightly, considering that the Bangladesh team has caused major upsets in the World Cups in the past.
South Africa vs Bangladesh: A look at the Squads
The two teams have announced their strongest available squads leading up to the T20 World Cup 2022. But there are a few notable omissions as well. The senior opening batsman from Bangladesh Tamim Iqbal was not available for selection. He decided to stay away from the T20I format for six months.
Apart from that, senior all-rounder, Mahmudullah Riyad was dropped from the team due to his bad run of form. Mushfiqur Rahim announced his retirement from the T20I format and was unavailable for selection.
South Africa, on the other hand, has plenty of firepower in its squad. With the likes of Anrich Norte back in the side, they boast a great bowling lineup.
Bangladesh Squad for the T20 World Cup 2022: Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Afif Hossain, Mossadek Hossain, Litton Das, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Najmul Hossain, Nasum Ahmed.
South Africa Squad for the T20 World Cup 2022: Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, Reeza Hendricks, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Rillee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.
South Africa vs Bangladesh: Pitch conditions and Weather
The Sydney Cricket Ground pitch is generally flat and comes with good bounce and carry. It is one of the best batting strips in Australia that allows batters to play their shots with ease. In addition, the toss is not generally a huge factor at the SCG. Both the chasing teams and the teams batting first have won an equal number of matches at the venue.
The weather on October 27 in Sydney has a 60% chance of rain that may interrupt the game. But we will get a clear picture as we approach the matchday. The temperature will hover around 24-degree celsius with 58% humidity. Both sets of teams, especially South Africa, will be hoping for a full 20-over match.
