After a positive start to the year with a historic victory over South Africa in Cape Town, India will kickstart preparations for this year’s T20 World Cup with a series against Afghanistan at home. Both teams will lock horns in Mohali for the first T20I of the three-match series on Thursday, January 11.
Securing consecutive T20I series victories against Australia and South Africa within a span of 30 days was a commendable achievement for the young and relatively inexperienced Indian squad. But now they’ve got their experience back, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning to the fold.
While the cricket fraternity celebrates the comeback of Rohit and Kohli to India’s T20I squad, Kohli’s absence in the Mohali T20I due to personal reasons is noted. Rohit is expected to maintain his ultra-aggressive approach in the powerplay, reminiscent of his performance in the ODI World Cup. In Kohli’s absence, Shubman Gill is likely to bat at No. 3 as coach Rahul Dravid confirmed that Yashasvi Jaiswal would open with Rohit.
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Having faced challenges in the Rainbow nation across formats, Gill will look to rediscover his form against Afghanistan. The return of Sanju Samson adds depth, as he potentially vies for a spot ahead of Jitesh Sharma, who performed reasonably well in recent opportunities. Rinku Singh, having proved his mettle in challenging South African conditions, becomes an important player in the middle order, compensating for the absence of the injured duo of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya.
Shivam Dube returns to the squad, adding the option of a pace-bowling all-rounder to the playing eleven, alongside three specialist pace bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar. Given the historical favorability of the pitch towards pacers, all three could potentially start. Leading the spin attack is Kuldeep Yadav, with additional choices including Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar.
In their own conditions, India are expected to secure a comfortable victory, although Afghanistan can be expected to provide stiff competition.
Contrary to India, Afghanistan prepared for the series with a notable 2-1 win over the UAE. Focused on the T20 World Cup in June, Afghanistan will aim to capitalise on this opportunity and spring a surprise.
Despite India’s historical dominance, having won four out of five T20Is against Afghanistan, this series offers Afghanistan a chance to alter that narrative.
With significant experience in their T20I side and familiarity with Indian conditions from IPL stints, Afghanistan enter the series with confidence.
Building on their remarkable performance in the recent World Cup, notably securing stunning victories over England and Pakistan, Afghanistan are optimistic about achieving even greater success in the shortest format of the game.
The opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, fresh from his maiden T20I century against the UAE, and Hazratullah Zazai forms a robust combination. Captain Ibrahim Zadran provides stability in the middle order and can anchor the innings if an early wicket falls. However, the middle order appears somewhat fragile, with Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Karim Janat yet to establish themselves with consistent contributions.
Afghanistan’s bowling strength has always been a standout feature. Despite Rashid Khan’s absence, captain Ibrahim has a reliable bowling unit. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq are expected to start. The return of Mujeeb ur Rahman could see him open the bowling.
Afghanistan possesses versatile medium-pace options in all-rounders Karim and Azmatullah, complemented by the spin attack led by Qais Ahmad and Nabi.
With a lineup featuring bold and formidable batters at the top, along with a considerable pool of all-rounders, Afghanistan are well-positioned to secure victories and potentially create upsets in this format. The team’s bolstered self-confidence and newfound recognition in white-ball cricket instill hope among Afghans, fostering aspirations of outperforming India.
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Time and Venue Details
India vs Afghanistan, 1st T20I. 7:00 PM. IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali.
Expected Conditions
The PCA IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali is expected to offer a batting-friendly pitch, characterised by a chance of early seam movement for the pacers. Once batters find their rhythm, they can exploit the favorable conditions. Renowned for its consistent pace and bounce, the ground has a history of facilitating high scores in white-ball cricket, boasting an impressive average scoring rate of 9.13 in T20Is. Defending becomes a tough task at this venue, underscoring the importance of winning the toss. The probable inclination is to opt for bowling first on this demanding pitch.
Probable Playing 11
India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran (C), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq
Match-up
Gurbaz vs Arshdeep: In the last series against UAE, Gurbaz notched up a century in just 52 balls in Sharjah, complemented by scores of 20 and 21 in the subsequent matches. He’s in fine form and can pose a challenge for the Indians.
On the Indian side, they possess a trump card in the form of Arshdeep Singh. With an impressive record of 59 wickets in a mere 42 T20Is, including a best of 4-37 and an economy rate of 8.70, the left-arm pacer is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways. Arshdeep poses a threat to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who has exhibited vulnerability against deliveries moving away from him.
Match speak
“We know they have got some really good spinners. So it will be a good challenge for our batsmen. We have discussed about it as well – how to play and dominate their spinners. So it will be a good challenge, and we are looking forward to it.” – Rahul Dravid, India head coach.
“Playing against India on their home soil is a difficult task, but we came here to play well against them and show our skills. We have lots of good T20 players, all our boys are playing good cricket, so I am sure they will play well. We will have a good series against India.” – Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan captain.
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