Afghanistan is set to face off against India in the 43rd match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 at the iconic Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. With three victories out of four games, Afghanistan has secured the second position in Group C’s points table. India, on the other hand, also boasts three wins from their four matches, topping the points table in Group A.
In their most recent encounter, Afghanistan suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the West Indies, losing by a margin of 103 runs despite a notable performance from Ibrahim Zadran, who scored 38 runs. Contrastingly, India’s last match against Canada was abandoned due to rain, leaving them eager to get back on the field and continue their strong form.
Historically, India has dominated in T20I encounters against Afghanistan. The two teams have faced each other seven times in this format, with India maintaining an undefeated streak against Afghanistan. As this match is scheduled as a day game, the dew factor, which often influences night matches, will not come into play.
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This aspect largely neutralizes the impact of the toss, although the captain winning the toss might still prefer to bowl first. The pitch at Kensington Oval is expected to be more conducive to batting, unlike the bowler-friendly pitches seen in the US during the earlier stages of the tournament.
Fans can anticipate a high-scoring game, with a key determinant being how well the Indian batsmen handle the spin attack of Afghanistan. It’s noteworthy that India has never lost to Afghanistan in T20 Internationals, winning seven out of eight encounters with one match ending in no result. This historical edge adds an extra layer of excitement as both teams aim to secure a pivotal victory in the tournament.
India
The finger spinners are likely to thrive on the West Indies pitches, prompting India to possibly stick with the same XI that played in New York. However, the temptation to include Kuldeep Yadav, who could replace pacer Mohammed Siraj, might be irresistible.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will aim to tackle the pacers early in the innings, setting the stage for Shivam Dube to target the spinners in the middle overs. Afghanistan’s batters have shown a vulnerability to left-arm orthodox spin. Since January 2022, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Karim Janat, and Azmatullah Omarzai have collectively fallen to left-arm spinners 13 times in T20Is. This trend brings India’s Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel into strategic focus for exploiting this weakness.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, despite their recent loss to the West Indies in St. Lucia, is not expected to make significant changes to their lineup. Coach Jonathan Trott has hinted at retaining the same team for this crucial match.
Rashid Khan, who has dismissed Rohit Sharma four times in 40 deliveries in T20s, might bring himself into the attack earlier than usual. Meanwhile, India’s batting lineup, including Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and Hardik Pandya, has collectively been dismissed by left-arm pace 31 times in T20Is since January 2022. This statistic underscores the importance of Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi, who will be key in leveraging this vulnerability.
Probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (vc), Ibrahim Zadran, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Rashid Khan, FazalHaq Farooqi
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Arshdeep Singh (c), Rashid Khan, FazalHaq Farooqi
