ENG vs AFG: England playing XI vs Afghanistan, Match 13, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 - Predicted

England will face Afghanistan in Match 13 of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in Delhi.

It hasn't been as great a start for defending champions England in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 as they would have liked. They suffered an eye-opening defeat in the tournament's opener against New Zealand, which made them re-think their plans. But England bounced back well with a comprehensive win over Bangladesh in their second game.

England will now face Afghanistan challenge in their next game. It will be the 13th match of the tournament, which will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday. England will be confident enough to win this game, while Afghanistan have lost their first two and desperately need a win. Here we will talk about the predicted playing XI for England against Afghanistan.

ENG vs AFG: England's Predicted playing XI vs Afghanistan

1. Jonny Bairstow :

Jonny Bairstow has looked in good nick in two games. He has scored 33 and 52 runs in two matches and is likely to fire in Delhi. He can single-handedly take his team to the 300-runs mark because of his ability to attack. Bairstow will look to play a big innings, which is due, and he will be a big wicket at the top.

2. Dawid Malan :

Dawid Malan is coming off a man of the match performance in the last game against Bangladesh. He smashed his career-best score of 140. Malan has already hit six hundreds in just 23 innings and has scored runs at an average of 63.16. These are some serious stats, and he can be a player to watch out for.

3. Joe Root :

Joe Root has been in tremendous form in this tournament and has scored consecutive half-centuries. He scored 77 against New Zealand and 82 against Bangladesh but couldn't reach three figures. The game in Delhi might see him score a hundred, and if it happens, England will be on top for a win.

4. Ben Stokes / Harry Brook :

Ben Stokes is likely to make his comeback in the squad after missing the first two matches. He might replace Harry Brook, who hasn't had two good games so far. Stokes' return will surely be a confidence booster, and he will be a huge wicket for Afghanistan. The southpaw will look to get some important runs under his belt.

Harry Brook will be the first-choice player if Ben Stokes is not available. The youngster has been in good form off-late but has yet to make his mark in this tournament. Brook will be keen to score some runs to prove his worth to his team, and if it happens, he will be dangerous.

5. Jos Buttler (c & wk) :

Jos Buttler is the most dangerous player in this line-up. He is the one who can smash even a 40-ball hundred. Buttler bats as per the situation, and the pitch in Delhi, which is a batting-friendly wicket, which will give Buttler a chance to flex his muscles. He will be the game-changer for England.

6. Liam Livingstone :

Liam Livingstone is yet to make his mark in this tournament, but we all know what he is capable of. He is one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball, and can get going from the start. He can take the game away from down the order and will also be a handy spinner for England.

7. Sam Curran :

Sam Curran will be a key player on the team with both bat and ball. His left-arm angle makes him a difficult bowler to face, and he is very effective against the right-handed batsmen, and Afghanistan have a lot of them at the top. He can come lower down the order and whack a few balls out of the park as well.

8. Chris Woakes :

Chris Woakes' role will be most important for England because if he can remove a couple of batters from Afghan top-order, then England can put more pressure on them. Though it will be difficult to bowl in Delhi, he is a very experienced bowler who can perform in tough situations.

9. Adil Rashid :

Adil Rashid will be the specialist spinner on English side and has immense experience playing in all kinds of conditions. Rashid will be key in the middle overs because he can take wickets and also stop the batters from scoring runs. That makes him a valuable player on this team.

10. Mark Wood :

Mark Wood will have a big impact on the game. He is the most impactful bowler on either side. Wood can be expensive sometimes because of his pace, but he is a wicket-taker, which makes him a difficult prospect to handle. With his pace, he can be vulnerable for the batters of Afghanistan team.

11. Reece Topley :

After missing out on the first game, Reece Topley made his comeback against Bangladesh and straight away showed why he is rated so highly. Topley finished with 4/43 and was the best English bowler on that day. He can have a similar performance in Delhi because of the variety he brings to the table with his height and left-arm angle.