India will square off against a high-flying Afghanistan in the 44th match of the ongoing T20 World Cup at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday. India’s bowling has been clinical so far in the tournament but their batters are yet to join the party.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, has delivered consistently with both bat and ball but they will certainly have their work cut out against the formidable Indian team. We look at the current form, head-to-head, players to look out for, and squads of both teams in our match preview.
Current form for India: NR W W W W
India’s pace battery of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh have put in consistent performances. But India’s batting has looked tentative and they will be determined to prove their mettle in the Super 8 stage.
Current form for Afghanistan: L W W W W
Afghanistan’s openers – Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz – have delivered at the top of the order. Furthermore, Fazalhaq Farooqi has bagged 12 wickets in four matches. Afghanistan will need to play out of their skin to upset the potent Indian team.
Head to Head: Matches: 7, Won by India: 7, Won by Afghanistan: 0.
Players to look out for: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah will hold the key for India.
Naveen-ul-Haq, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ibrahim Zadran, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz will be the crucial players for Afghanistan.
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.
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.
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