India squares off with Afghanistan in a trio of home T20I games, kicking off January 11 (Thursday). Mohali stages the leading T20I. Then we shift to Indore and Bengaluru.
This series is a pivotal moment. Both teams need to sort their line-ups for the impending T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean in June-July.
Much of India’s team will strut their stuff in the IPL. Nonetheless, this series could very well cement India’s World Cup squad.
The Afghanistan series sees a balanced Indian team, mingling newcomers with seasoned players. Rohit Sharma, the usual captain, and standout player Virat Kohli are back in T20 action.
After India’s unfortunate semi-final defeat to England in the 2022 T20 World Cup, Hardik Pandya was picked as the go-to T20 boss. Interestingly, both Rohit and Kohli didn’t participate in a single T20I game after that.
But, circumstances changed. After Hardik’s injury plus Rohit and Virat showing exceptional run in the 50-over World Cup, the selectors had to reinstate the seasoned pair.
Here are three things to anticipate from the India vs. Afghanistan series:
1. India’s wicket-keeping conundrum
KL Rahul is not in the T20I series. It seems the Indian team leaders want something new. They’re seeking young, daring players as wicket-keepers, players who can make bold moves right away.
It is still unknown who would be favored for the opening match despite Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson being included on the sixteen-man roster. Head coach Rahul Dravid revealed that Ishan Kishan, who withdrew from the South Africa series, had not yet made himself available.
On their day, Samson and Jitesh are capable of handling any bowling assault. When his team needs quick runs, Jitesh may be deployed as a finisher or floater, but Samson can bat anywhere in the top seven.
2. Has India moved beyond Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj in the T20 format?
Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan will be India’s main fast bowlers in the T20 games with Afghanistan. Bumrah and Siraj are taking a break to deal with workload. Shami can’t play due to an ongoing injury which also caused him to skip the South Africa games.
Mohammed Siraj isn’t currently at his best in the shortest games. Shami frequently alternates in the T20I team. His latest time on the Indian T20I team was against England in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-finals.
If Bumrah has a fantastic IPL season, he may still be added back to the team. Arshdeep, Mukesh, and Avesh, among others, will have an opportunity to solidify their spots on the World Cup team during this series.
1. Rohit and Kohli back in India’s T20I plans for Afghanistan series
After the tough defeat India faced in the World Cup final, two stars, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, are getting another chance at victory. They’re back playing T20I in the series against Afghanistan.
It dispelled any rumors regarding the pair’s participation in the T20 World Cup. During the fifty-over World Cup, Rohit and Virat both looked incredible, and they both finished as two of the top run scorers.
With so many power hitters around at the T20 World Cup, Kohli’s maturity in the middle overs was evident as Rohit was hammering the bowlers in the powerplay.
