Get ready, India is hosting Afghanistan for three T20I games. It’s Team India’s last T20I before the crucial T20 World Cup 2024 next June. The return of big players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has stirred different emotions.
Of course, people will be watching them closely during these games. Sad news, Afghanistan is missing their top spinner, Rashid Khan. He’s still healing from an injury.
But the Afghans will undoubtedly think they can compete even more in the shorter format after their incredible 2023 World Cup performance. India’s abilities will be put to the test as they try to solve many puzzles in their T20 configuration.
In light of this, let’s examine the three player encounters that have occurred during the T20I series and have the potential to determine the outcome:
1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Ravi Bishnoi
The key to Afghanistan scoring high could rest on the able shoulders of their lead batsman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz. His ability to play an aggressive game can potentially surprise India. The visiting team is definitely aiming for him to start strong from the get-go.
The hosts deployed wrist-spinner Ravi Bishnoi practically every time they required a wicket in the powerplay, as seen in the T20I series against Australia. India’s trump card will once again be its No. 2 T20I bowler, which may make his matchup with Gurbaz rather intriguing.
2. Virat Kohli vs Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Virat Kohli, a lead player for India, won’t join the T20I team as soon as expected. Personal commitments are the cause. Still, his face-off with Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the series’ remaining games will be exciting to watch.
Mujeeb delivered 20 balls to Kohli in past T20 games, allowing 22 runs. He even managed to out Kohli once. Anticipate the pace of Kohli’s batting in T20Is. Will Mujeeb unsettle him? It’s a question to ponder.
3. Rohit Sharma vs Fazalhaq Farooqui
Rohit Sharma’s appointment as the Indian T20I team’s captain may suggest he will command the Men in Blue at the T20 World Cup 2024. His performance with the bat at T20 World Cup in Australia was disappointing. Many believed this signaled the end of his T20I career.
Nonetheless, a very aggressive batting style during the 2023 World Cup has many believing that Rohit Sharma may be able to repeat it in Twenty20 Internationals. In the 2023 World Cup match between the two sides, he defeated Fazalhaq Farooqui.
However, T20 cricket is a different kind of cricket, and Rohit’s vulnerability against left-arm pacers is well known. If Farooqui can swing the ball and produce late movement early on, he can definitely cause the Indian skipper some trouble.
