IND vs AFG 3rd T20I: Preview, Match Details, Predicted Playing 11, Head-to-Head, Venue, FAQs
IND vs AFG 3rd T20I: In anticipation of the impending ICC T20 World Cup, India and Afghanistan are honing their skills in a three-match series held in India. The Indian team has reinforced its lineup with the return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both making a comeback to the format after a 14-month hiatus. Nevertheless, Kohli won’t be available for the tournament’s opening match and is slated to join the squad after the fixture.
Rohit Sharma’s Indian cricket team is set to take on Ibrahim Zadran’s Afghanistan in the third and final T20I of the three-match series at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on January 17.
Match Details
Teams: India and Afghanistan
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Date: 17-01-2024
Time: 7:00 PM (IST)
IND vs AFG T20I: Full Squads
India: Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson(w), Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi
Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran(c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Qais Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Karim Janat, Ikram Alikhil, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib
Player News
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are making a return to the T20I squad for the first time since India’s semi-final loss to England at the 2022 T20 World Cup. However, Kohli was unavailable for Thursday’s game due to personal reasons.
The comeback of Rohit Sharma also brings a change at the top of the order. Coach Rahul Dravid has confirmed that Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal are India’s preferred opening pair in T20Is, providing a valuable left-right combination. Jaiswal’s aggressive approach from the start makes him a more promising option than Shubman Gill, who is the third opener in the squad.
Afghanistan, looking to build on their successes from the 2023 ODI World Cup, has a series of nine T20Is leading up to the T20 World Cup. This provides them with ample time to finalize their first-choice XI, play together, and make necessary adjustments.
Considering this, they have selected a 19-member squad for this series. Rashid Khan is included in the roster but will not play due to ongoing recovery from back surgery. In Rashid’s absence, Ibrahim Zadran will once again lead the side.
Afghanistan faced a setback last month when Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman expressed their desire to be released from their central contracts to play franchise cricket. However, all three players are now back in the national team and are expected to play significant roles.
IND vs AFG 3rd T20I: Playing 11
India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah-Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
IND vs AFG T20I: HEAD-TO-HEAD
In the T20 format, India and Afghanistan have contested each other in six matches. Among these six encounters, India has emerged victorious in all five, showcasing their dominance in the head-to-head competition. Conversely, Afghanistan has yet to secure a win against India, having notched up zero victories in these T20 clashes. Additionally, one match in this series concluded without a result, contributing to the statistical history of their T20 encounters. This historical record underscores India’s consistent success against Afghanistan in T20 cricket.
Pitch Report: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
The Chinnaswamy Stadium stands out primarily due to its compact size, making it one of the smaller international venues in India. Coupled with a brisk outfield, the ground facilitates relatively easy run-scoring.
The pitch contributes to this characteristic, often being flat, although it may occasionally provide assistance to spinners. Typically, the average first innings total at this venue hovers around 265, suggesting the likelihood of witnessing several high-scoring matches.
FAQs
Where is the 3rd T20I between India and Afghanistan being held?
The 3rd T20 match between India and Afghanistan will be held at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
What time does the India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I start?
The 3rd T20I between India and Afghanistan will start at 7:00 pm IST.
How to watch India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I from India?
The fans can stream the inaugural T20I between India and Afghanistan online on the Jio Cinema. The match will be streamed on the app. India’s last piece of T20I action ahead of the World Cup will be telecasted across the Sports 18 Network.
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