Match Preview – India vs Afghanistan, Afghanistan in India 2023/24, 1st T20I

January 11, 2024 admin

Large image: Last rehearsal for India

In lower than 5 months, India will face Eire of their opening recreation on the 2024 T20 World Cup. Whereas there may be the IPL earlier than that, the three-match sequence in opposition to Afghanistan, beginning in Mohali on Thursday, is India’s solely T20I task in between. By the way, that is the primary time India are taking part in a bilateral white-ball sequence in opposition to Afghanistan.Rohit’s return additionally forces a change on the prime. Head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed that Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal are India’s first-choice openers in T20Is. In addition they present the left-right mixture. Jaiswal’s potential to assault from the primary ball additionally makes him a greater prospect than Shubman Gill, who’s the third opener within the squad.

Whereas Gill has improved his six-hitting potential, his powerplay strike charge in all T20s because the begin of 2023 is barely 138.44 whereas Jaiswal’s is 163.69. In Kohli’s absence, Gill may slot in at No. 3 on Thursday however might have to take a seat out for the final two video games.

Afghanistan shall be eager to construct on their beneficial properties from the 2023 ODI World Cup. They’ll play 9 T20Is between now and the T20 World Cup. So there may be time to finalise the first-choice XI, play it collectively, and fine-tune it if required.

With that in thoughts, they’ve picked a 19-member squad for this sequence. Rashid Khan can also be a part of the roster however won’t play within the sequence as he continues to get well from again surgical procedure. In his absence, Ibrahim Zadran will lead the aspect as soon as once more.Afghanistan had a hiccup final month when Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq and Mujeeb Ur Rahman needed to be launched from their central contracts and play franchise cricket. However all three are actually again within the nationwide staff and are anticipated to play a giant position.

Rohit Sharma was in good spirits throughout India’s coaching session•PTI

Kind information

India WLWWL (final 5 accomplished T20Is, most up-to-date first)
Afghanistan WLWWW

Within the highlight: Rohit Sharma and Najibullah Zadran

Rohit Sharma gave India blazing begins on the ODI World Cup, scoring at a strike charge of 135.01 within the powerplay. But it surely must be seen if he can translate the identical into T20 cricket. In ODIs, a batter can take an over or two to get their eye in after which line up a selected bowler. T20, a unique beast, has little respiratory room. One-over spells are the norm right here with bowlers’ main aim being to cease runs. That could be a problem India would need Rohit to beat.Najibullah Zadran not often will get the popularity he deserves. Amongst Afghanistan batters with at the least 500 T20I runs, he has the very best common (31.85) and the very best strike charge (139.71). And solely Mohammad Shahzad has extra 50-plus scores for the nation. Of late, Najibullah has been fighting accidents and kind. He was not noted of the XI after simply two video games of the ODI World Cup, through which he scored 5 and a pair of. However he confirmed indicators of a return to kind with an unbeaten 13-ball 28 in opposition to UAE within the third T20I final week.

Workforce information: Samson or Jitesh?

With Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya out with accidents, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh will get one other probability to indicate their wares. The identical holds for Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar within the fast-bowling division, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj rested. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see whether or not India decide Jitesh Sharma or Sanju Samson as wicketkeeper.

India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Jitesh Sharma/Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mukesh Kumar

Ibrahim Zadran will lead Afghanistan in T20Is for the second successive sequence•PTI

Within the absence of Rashid, Afghanistan are prone to proceed with fellow legspinner Qais Ahmad. Nonetheless, Noor Ahmed might should make method for Mujeeb.

Afghanistan (possible): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran (capt), 4 Azmatullah Omarzai, 5 Najibullah Zadran, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Gulbadin Naib/Karim Janat, 8 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 9 Qais Ahmad, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pitch and circumstances: Win the toss and chase

Out of 40 T20s Mohali has hosted within the final two years, the chasing staff has received 26. So the staff profitable the toss shall be seeking to bowl first, despite the fact that Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran mentioned he did not discover a lot dew previously two days. At evening, it may get barely foggy with the temperature dropping under 5°C.

Stats and trivia: Will India get fortunate with the toss?

India have now misplaced 11 tosses in a row. The chance of that occuring is 0.0005.
Rohit wants 147 runs to grow to be the second batter after Kohli to achieve 4000 T20I runs.
Mohammad Nabi wants 123 runs and eight wickets to finish the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets in T20Is. Up to now, Shakib Al Hasan is the one one to take action.
Axar Patel is 5 in need of 50 T20I wickets.

Quotes

“Rinku Singh has made begin in worldwide cricket and he’s taking part in rather well. The position we’ve given him, the finisher’s position, he’s fulfilling it. That is one other alternative for him to take his growth additional. So far as the choice is worried, that shall be determined later however when gamers carry out effectively, they’re all the time within the selectors’ minds.”
Rahul Dravid on if Rinku Singh could possibly be decide for the T20 World Cup

“You see, we’ve the most effective spinners on the earth, and we even have good quick bowlers in Naveen and Fazal. So our purpose is to enhance our batting abilities and we are going to attempt to do extra in that division.”
Ibrahim Zadran on the world Afghanistan wish to enhance essentially the most in

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo