1st T20I: India aim to start strong against spirited Afghanistan
India will kick-start the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on January 11 at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. While the Men in Blue will be firm favorites at home, Afghanistan are a formidable team in T20Is. This is the first time the two sides will meet in a bilateral T20I series, and Afghanistan will hope to put up a fight. Here's more.
Afghanistan yet to register a win against India
India and Afghanistan have met in only five T20Is as of now. While India remain unbeaten with four wins, one of these games was washed out. The two sides have locked horns thrice in the T20 World Cup and once in the Asia Cup. Last year, the India-Afghanistan final at the Asian Games (men's T20 competition) had no result.
Here are the match details
Mohali's PCA Stadium will host the opening clash. 168 is the first innings average score at the venue where five teams have won batting first in nine encounters. Pacers will get some aid from the pitch, while batters will also score runs once the ball gets older. Sports18 will telecast the match, while JioCinema will allow fans to live-stream it from 7:00 PM IST.
The return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
In a major development, senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have returned to India's T20I squad for the Afghanistan series. Rohit is back as India's captain in the format. The duo hasn't featured in T20Is since India's semi-final defeat to England in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Notably, Kohli (4,008) and Rohit (3,853) are the top two run-scorers in T20I cricket.
Hardik and Suryakumar ruled out; some others rested
Important players like Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav are sidelined for this series. Hardik hasn't recovered from the ankle injury that he suffered during the 2023 World Cup game against Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Suryakumar also picked up an ankle injury in South Africa. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested, while Mohammed Shami hasn't recovered from his injury. Wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan has been dropped.
Recovering Rashid Khan included in Afghanistan's squad
Regular T20I captain Rashid Khan is included in the Afghanistan squad for the T20I series, but his availability remains a question. He underwent back surgery and is on the path to recovery. Therefore, Ibrahim Zadran will lead the team in this series after guiding Afghanistan to a 2-1 win over UAE in Sharjah. Mujeeb Ur Rahman is also a part of the team.
Here are the probable lineups
India's Probable playing XI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar. Afghanistan's Probable playing XI: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammed Nabi, Karim Janat, Qais Ahmed, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
A look at the key players
Kohli is the highest run-scorer for India against Afghanistan in T20Is. He owns 172 runs in two innings, including two fifty-plus scores. Gurbaz and Zadran were Afghanistan's two most successful batters in T20I since the start of 2023, with 288 and 235 runs respectively. Qais was the top wicket-taker against UAE with six scalps. Arshdeep has claimed 59 T20I wickets for India.
Dream11 Team options
Option 1: Rohit Sharma, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Virat Kohli, Ibrahim Zadran, Rinku Singh, Mohammed Nabi, Axar Patel, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, and Naveen-ul-Haq. Option 2: Rohit Sharma, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Virat Kohli, Ibrahim Zadran, Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
