Will Samson, Avesh, and Kuldeep get a chance in the dead rubber against Afghanistan?
India have taken an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan as they beat their opposition by six wickets in each game. In both these matches, India’s captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl. With nothing to lose going into the third T20I, Sharma can think of batting first if he wins the toss. Also, of the 16-member squad, 13 have played in these two matches. The team management has the option of giving the opportunity to remaining three players, Sanju Samson, Avesh Khan, and Kuldeep Yadav in this T20I, which is also the last international T20 before the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup.
The third T20I between India and Afghanistan will be played on January 17 at M. Chhinaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Head-to-Head
India and Afghanistan have played seven T20Is against each other, of which India have won six and one match did not produce result. In India, they have played two matches, which are a part of the ongoing bilateral series, with India winning both of them.
| India | Afghanistan | |
| ICC T20I Rankings | 1 | 10 |
| Head-to-Head in T20Is | 6 | 0 |
| In India | 2 | 0 |
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Ikram Alikhil (wicket-keeper), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan.
Players to watch out for
Yashasvi Jaiswal: This left-handed opening batter of India top scored in the second T20I against Afghanistan, having missed out on playing in the first T20I. This Mumbai batter muscled 68 runs off 34 balls, including five fours and six sixes. He led the run chase from the front, despite losing his opening partner and India’s captain Rohit Sharma in the first over.
Axar Patel: This left arm spinner of India won the player of the match award in the second T20I against Afghanistan. He scalped 2/17 in four overs, including a wicket in the last over of the powerplay. Bowling disciplined lines and lengths consistently, he was the most successful and economical bowler for his team.
Gulbadin Naib: This all-rounder of Afghanistan registered his best score in T20Is when he smashed 57 off 35 in the second T20I against India. Batting at number three, this right-handed batter plundered five fours and four sixes in his entertaining knock. Besides his batting, he can roll his arm over to bowl right arm medium pace.
Karim Janat: This right arm speedster of Afghanistan was the pick of the bowlers in the second T20I against India. He claimed 2/13 in two overs, picking both the wickets in the 13th over. Conceding runs at 6.5 per over, he was the most economical bowler for his team. He will be expected to bowl well in the middle and death overs.
Pitch
The venue has hosted eight men’s T20Is to date, of which teams batting second have won five. The highest total posted here is 202 and the lowest is 122. With smaller ground dimensions, expect plenty of runs to be scored. However, a thick cloud cover could assist the fast bowlers, especially with the new ball.
Weather
The weather is expected to be partly cloudy with temperatures around 19 degrees Celsius. There will be 94% cloud cover and no chance of rain. The winds will blow from the south-east.
Milestone Alert
Najibullah Zadran will play his 100th T20I
Axar Patel needs 1 wicket to complete 50 T20I wickets
Mohammad Nabi needs 67 runs to complete 2000 T20I runs
Match details
Date: January 17, 2024
Time: 7 PM
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Live streaming: Jio Cinema, Sports 18