India is all set to kick off its Super 8s journey in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Barbados. Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid must be delighted with the favorable draw they have received for the second stage of the tournament. Their group consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Australia, all of whom are ranked lower than India in the Twenty20 International rankings. Australia, being ranked No. 2, is the highest-ranked team in the group, while Afghanistan (ranked No. 10) and Bangladesh (ranked No. 9) are positioned even lower. This gives India a clear advantage and a seemingly straightforward path to the semifinals.
although india is tough threat for afghanistan but in a different soil and spin trio of afghan can surprise india in such a crucial match .
On Thursday, at Kensington Oval, Afghanistan will be facing India, who are known for their strong performances in ICC competitions. Afghanistan, on the other hand, have a reputation for being giant killers, as they have previously defeated New Zealand in the first round. Unfortunately, the Kiwis were unable to survive their assault. Additionally, Afghanistan has an advantage in terms of understanding the conditions, as they have played all their matches in the Caribbean. In contrast, India will be having their first outing in the West Indies tomorrow. Furthermore, many of Afghanistan’s players have gained valuable experience in the IPL, where they have gained insights into India’s batting and bowling techniques, as well as handling the pressure in T20 cricket.
The recent pitch conditions at The Oval in Bridgetown have been advantageous for batsmen, resulting in a significant reliance on the performance of Indian batters against Afghanistan’s spinners – Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed, and Mohammed Nabi. This presents an intriguing opportunity for players like Shivam Dube, who is being specifically groomed to tackle this challenge. Dube’s role in the middle order is crucial, as it will consistently pose a formidable left-right combination, a valuable asset that previous Indian teams have lacked.
When: India vs Afghanistan, Super 8, 8:30 PM (June 20), 10:30 AM local time.
Where: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
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
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
where to watch – hotstar. star sports network
