The two countries have only met twice before with England winning convincingly on both occasions – by nine wickets at the 2015 World Cup in Sydney and 150 runs in Manchester four years ago.

 

Afghanistan, meanwhile, are currently at the bottom of the points table with two losses from the two matches they have played.

 

The match against India was also played at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi so Afghanistan will at least be familiar with the conditions.

 

Batters are expected to play a major role in England’s clash against Afghanistan. In many ways, the defending World Cup champions finally arrived at the tournament in their second game in Dharamsala. After a nine-wicket loss in Ahmedabad against New Zealand, their players fired in all departments against Bangladesh as England managed a 137-run win.

 

The Jos Buttler-led side would hope to continue a similar run in Delhi. The Arun Jaitley wicket has proved to be good for batting thus far. And England batters, reputed for their aggressive approach, can make the most of the likely suitable conditions when at the crease.

 

The Afghanistan side would love to get their act together in the World Cup. They’ve impressed in phases but haven’t been able to click as a unit but would surely like their senior players, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, to give a better account of themselves in the upcoming matches.