HOLDERS England are back in action at the 2023 Cricket World Cup with what SHOULD be a fairly straightforward contest against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Jos Buttler's side bounced back from a disappointing defeat to New Zealand with a powerful 137-run victory over Bangladesh but can ill-afford to slip up this Sunday.
???? England vs Afghanistan odds
England are heavy odds-on favourites to collect maximum points against their opponents this weekend. The best cricket betting sites will also have several different markets available for the showdown.
Below are the best odds England and Afghanistan to win the match.
- England to win - 1/9 at bet365
- Afghanistan to win - 13/2 at Spreadex
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⭐ England vs Afghanistan predictions
Let's not beat around the bush, England should win and win well.
We've grown accustomed to seeing England start slow and gather momentum as a tournament progresses. They lost their second match at the 2019 Cricket World Cup before lifting the trophy, and again at the T20 World Cup in 2022 in Australia.
The pair have met SIX times down the years in various competitions, and England have won them all - most by a healthy margin.
There's no doubting that Afghanistan are an improving nation on the world scene, but they've struggled in the early stages of this competition having followed their six-wicket defeat to Bangladesh with a crushing loss at the hands of hosts India.
Two World Cup matches have taken place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, and it's fair to say it's a batter's dream. India struck 273 in just 35 overs against Afghanistan, while South Africa made 428-5, which is the highest score in the tournament's history.
England vs Afghanistan key stats
- England have won all six of their meetings against Afghanistan
- Joe Root has hit five half-centuries from eight ODI innings in India
- The Arun Jaitley Stadium hosts the biggest ODI score in Cricket World Cup history (428)
- Afghanistan are ranked ninth in the ODI standings but have accumulated 1,457 less points than fifth-ranked England
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the quickest of the 13 Afghanistan batters to the mark of 1000 ODI runs
- England's Dawid Malan boasts the second-highest score at the 2023 Cricket World Cup with 140 at a strike-rate of 130.84 Afghanistan have suffered two of the three biggest losses at the 2023 Cricket World Cup
???? England vs Afghanistan betting tips
Joe Root to hit 50+ runs
Who could back against Joe Root? The England stalwart is the glue that holds everything together for this team. OK, he's not a blockbuster hitter (aside from the occasional ramp shot over fine leg), but he's the most naturally gifted batter England has ever produced.
He's started the tournament brightly with 77 against New Zealand and 82 against Bangladesh. And that shouldn't be too much of a surprise given his ODI record in India. Root has played eight innings in India, scoring 454 runs at an average of 64.85 including five half-centuries.
His one and only ODI innings against Afghanistan resulted in a fine 88. We think he's primed for another half-century on Sunday, at least.
???? Bet on Joe Root to hit 50+ runs as 6/5 with bet365 ????
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Hashmatullah Shahidi top Afghanistan run-scorer
It's never too easy to predict where the runs are going to come from in this Afghanistan side, but Hashmatullah Shahidi looks the safest option on Sunday.
The 28-year-old was praised for his game-awareness when noticing that India were bowling with one fewer fielder in the ring than mandated earlier this week. He punished their error with a boundary on his way to 80 off 88 balls.
It was Shahidi's fourth-highest ODI score, and his highest at a World Cup, beating his 76 against England at Old Trafford four years ago. He averages just over 32 in ODI's in India with 225 runs from his seven innings.
???? Bet on Hashmatullah Shahidi to be the Afghanistan run-scorer at 5/1 with bet365 ????
Dawid Malan most sixes
When he gets going, he's unstoppable.
Dawid Malan is in excellent touch, and that was rather necessary given he's in for one of England's great white ball players in Jason Roy.
Malan already has two one-day international hundreds this year, and fired a superb 140 from 107 balls against Bangladesh in Dharamshala. That innings included 16 4s and five 6s - five more than any of his colleagues.
???? Bet on Dawid malan to have the most sixes at 17/2 with bet365 ????
???? How to watch England vs Afghanistan at the 2023 Cricket World Cup
- Location: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, India
- Date and time: Sunday 15th October 2023, 09:30
- How to watch: The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event in the United Kingdom with coverage beginning at 09:00. Bet365 customers can also stream the contest via a live stream on the bet365 website.
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