The India vs Afghanistan T20I series will start with a historic match in Delhi. Afghanistan will host India in international cricket for the first time.
Afghanistan have played many matches in India and know the conditions well. The team has also spent a lot of time in the country. However, this series is still very important for them. Delhi also has a large Afghan community, which could make the city feel familiar to the Afghan players. But once the match starts at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the focus will be fully on cricket.
Afghanistan have one major goal in this series. They want to beat India in international cricket for the first time. They have challenged India in the past but are still searching for their first victory.
India have also had a mixed T20 run recently. They lost series in Ireland and England. However, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy are back, giving India a stronger team.
Expected Playing XI for India vs Afghanistan
Here are the expected playing XIs of both teams.
India Predicted XI
India could face a tough decision at the top of the order. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are all options for the opening spots.
Samson was India’s Player of the Tournament during the T20 World Cup. Sooryavanshi also impressed during the Zimbabwe series. Abhishek has also earned India’s trust in important matches.
Captain Shreyas Iyer will have to make an early decision. His choice could get plenty of attention.
- Abhishek Sharma
- Sanju Samson
- Ishan Kishan (wk)
- Shreyas Iyer (captain)
- Tilak Varma
- Axar Patel
- Washington Sundar
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Arshdeep Singh
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Varun Chakravarthy
Afghanistan Predicted XI
Afghanistan also has a big decision to make with their bowling attack.
They have several strong spin options. The team must decide whether to play two specialist fast bowlers or add another spinner to the XI.
Naveen-ul-Haq’s return gives Afghanistan another experienced fast bowler. He missed the T20 World Cup because of an injury.
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Ibrahim Zadran (captain)
- Gulbadin Naib
- Sediqullah Atal
- Darwish Rasooli
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Mohammad Nabi
- Rashid Khan
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Noor Ahmad
- Naveen-ul-Haq/Fazalhaq Farooqi
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5 Key Players to Watch Out For
Here are the five key players to watch in the game.
Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah’s return makes India’s bowling attack much stronger. He can take wickets with the new ball and control the game at the death.
His role could become very important against Afghanistan’s attacking batters.
Rashid Khan
Rashid will come into the series with a major milestone close to him. He needs only seven wickets to become the first player to take 200 T20I wickets.
Rashid had a quiet period in recent IPL seasons. However, he recently started taking wickets regularly again. His record in Delhi also makes him a player to watch.
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer will have pressure on him as India’s captain and batter.
India’s recent series losses came during a period of change. The opening combination will also be one of his first big decisions.
Iyer recently spoke about India’s injury problems. He said the team can only focus on the players who are available and give them confidence.
He will now have to follow that approach against Afghanistan.
Ibrahim Zadran
The new Afghanistan captain will lead a team that knows Indian conditions very well.
Ibrahim has said that Afghanistan knows how to adjust when they play in India. Now, they need to turn that knowledge into results.
Sanju Samson
If Samson gets a place in the XI, he will have a chance to make a strong statement.
He played well during the T20 World Cup, but the competition for opening spots has become tougher.
A big score from Samson could make India’s selection decisions even harder for the remaining matches.
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Key Battles to Watch
Here are the key battles to look for in the IND vs AFG 1st T20I.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Gurbaz likes to attack during the powerplay. Bumrah, however, has the skills to stop aggressive starts.
If Bumrah gets Gurbaz out early, Afghanistan could struggle to build their innings. But if Gurbaz survives the new-ball spell, Afghanistan could put India under pressure quickly.
Rashid Khan vs India’s Middle Order
Rashid’s battle against players such as Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan could play a big role in the match.
India have several batters who can attack spin. But Rashid has plenty of experience and many variations.
His bowling during the middle overs could decide how quickly India scores.
Pitch and Weather Conditions
The Arun Jaitley Stadium was not one of the highest-scoring grounds during the recent IPL. However, it still produced a good scoring rate of 9.63 runs per over.
The small boundaries could help the batters play attacking shots.
If the bowlers do not get much help from the pitch early on, fans could see a high-scoring match.
The monsoon has mostly moved away from northern India. Rain is also not expected to cause major problems during the night match.
Team Strengths and Weaknesses
Let’s have a look at the strengths and weaknesses of both teams.
India
India’s biggest strength is their depth.
Bumrah, Arshdeep and Varun give the team strong bowling options. India also has several aggressive batters who can score quickly.
However, India still has some selection problems.
The absence of Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana affects the team’s balance. It also reduces India’s options at No. 8.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s biggest strength is their spin attack.
Rashid, Mujeeb and Noor Ahmad can cause problems for batters in the middle overs. Omarzai and the fast bowlers also give the team more bowling options.
However, Afghanistan will have a tough job against India’s deep batting lineup.
Their top order must also score runs. If Afghanistan lose early wickets, their middle order could face India’s experienced bowlers under pressure.
Form Guide
Afghanistan: WWLLL
India: WWWLL
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An Interesting India vs Afghanistan Stat
Rashid Khan needs only seven wickets to become the first player to take 200 T20I wickets.
There is also an interesting possibility involving Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
If he plays in this series, he could become the youngest player from a Full Member nation to play international cricket in India.
Afghanistan also has another big milestone in sight.
Mohammad Nabi needs 52 more runs to become the first Afghan player to score 2,500 T20I runs.
The first India vs Afghanistan T20I will be more than just the opening match of the series.
India will want to prove that their recent losses came during a period of change. Afghanistan, meanwhile, will have a chance to break one of their biggest barriers.
Playing in Delhi could give Afghanistan a familiar feeling. But beating India will take much more than knowing the conditions.
What do you think? Can Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran lead Afghanistan to their first-ever international win over India? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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