India vs Afghanistan in T20 World Cup 2024, Preview, Time, Venue, Squads

The highly anticipated Super 8 clash between India and Afghanistan will take place in Barbados on Thursday, kicking off at 7:30 PM PST.

India is set to launch their Super 8 journey against a formidable Afghan side that has been a dominant force in the tournament so far. The Indian team, too, has shown commendable form, but they enter this crucial encounter with a few strategic adjustments to consider.

The experiment of opening with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has not yielded the desired results, prompting calls for Yashasvi Jaiswal to be included as an opener. Kohli, a more natural fit at No. 3, is expected to return to his preferred position. Additionally, given the spin-friendly nature of Caribbean pitches, India might opt to bring in Kuldeep Yadav, potentially partnering him with Yuzvendra Chahal. This could mean Shivam Dube might make way for Kuldeep. There are also discussions around dropping Ravindra Jadeja, who has yet to prove his mettle in T20 Internationals, to make room for Chahal.

Afghanistan has been in exceptional form, building on their strong performance since the last ODI World Cup in India. Their batting lineup has shown consistency, supported by a diverse and experienced bowling attack.

Rashid Khan, the captain and key spinner, can rely on the seasoned players in his squad to deliver. The batting strength, highlighted by Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, is formidable, with Gurbaz currently among the tournament’s top scorers.

The Afghan bowling unit also boasts significant depth and variety. Fazalhaq Farooqi leads the pack with 12 wickets in the tournament so far, while Rashid Khan has taken six wickets. With the additional support of bowlers like Naveen-ul-Haq and Mohammad Nabi, Afghanistan’s bowling lineup is well-equipped to challenge the Indian batsmen.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj. Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan

Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi