ENG vs AFG World Cup 2023 match prediction: Why charged-up England are poised for 2019 repeat against Afghanistan

ENG vs AFG World Cup 2023 match prediction: England will aim at capitalising on momentum after win over Bangladesh as they take on another subcontinental side.

England's journey in the World Cup has seen a swift transformation, shifting from a brief bout of self-doubt in Ahmedabad to Delhi with renewed confidence. Their initial concerns, sparked by a significant nine-wicket defeat at the hands of New Zealand, became a catalyst for introspection. However, their commanding victory over Bangladesh, with impressive contributions from key players like Reece Topley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Mark Wood, has provided a considerable boost to their campaign, addressing not only Net Run Rate concerns but also restoring their equilibrium as defending champions.

England's Jos Buttler (L) and David Willey attend a practice session on the eve of their 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium (AFP)

While South Africa, India, and New Zealand have set an early pace, the underperformance of England's bitter rivals Australia has also alleviated some congestion in the race to secure a top-four spot, providing England with renewed optimism.

As for Afghanistan, they've maintained a reputation of punching above their weight more often than not in T20Is, but in the fifty-over format, the side hasn't really been challenging the top teams. The trend hasn't changed this World Cup, with Hashmatullah Shahidi's men facing heavy defeats to Bangladesh and India in their opening two matches. It had been a slightly better batting performance for Afghanistan against hosts India, but then, it was a surface conducive to batters; they scored 272/8 in 50 overs but conceded the target with exactly 15 overs to spare.

England overwhelming favourites

England enter their match against Afghanistan as overwhelming favorites, carrying significant momentum after a strong performance against Bangladesh. While Afghanistan did play their previous match in Delhi, their showing against a formidable Indian bowling attack couldn't secure a victory, even though they posted a competitive score.

England rebounded nicely from a challenging outing against New Zealand, delivering a comprehensive 137-run victory over Bangladesh. They were on the cusp of breaching the 400-run mark against Bangladesh but faltered in the lower-middle order, ultimately settling for a formidable yet slightly unsatisfactory total of 364/9.

Given the batting-friendly conditions in Delhi, England may as well be aiming to surpass their previous performance against Afghanistan, where they amassed an incredible 397/6 during the 2019 World Cup in Manchester.