The Afghanistan cricket team will aim to level the scores in the three-match T20I series as they will battle it out against the Indian cricket team in the second T20 International on Sunday. The high-profile game of cricket between the two sides will be played at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday.
The Indian team is leading the series with 1-0 following an impressive six-wicket win in the first T20 International. It was a comprehensive effort by the side as Afghanistan was restricted to a score of 158 runs in the allotted 20 overs and the hosts chased the total in 17.3 overs.
Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, and Axar Patel were the key performers for the team while Afghanistan saw good performances from the likes of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi.
Playing the second T20I in Indore, India is expected to make a major change in their playing XI. Tilak Varma might sit on the bench during the game as the former Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be available for selection after missing the first T20I because of personal reasons.
What has happened so far?
With the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup only a few months away, the Indian team has been doing a good job in the shortest format of the game. Their last two T20I series saw them locking horns against South Africa and Australia.
India bossed the 5-match T20I series, winning 4-1 against Australia at home with Rinku Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ravi Bishnoi impressing against a formidable Kangaroos lineup.
The three-match away series against South Africa saw the Men in Blue ending it 1-1 as the first game was washed out due to poor weather conditions and they came back to win the third game by 106 runs after losing the second T20I of the series.
Meanwhile, their five-match series against Australia saw them winning it by 4-1. Speaking of Afghanistan, they last played against the UAE in a three-match T20I series. It was a good performance by the Afghan team as they won the first and third T20 International by 72 runs and four wickets respectively while losing the second match by 11 runs.
Head to Head Record
So far in the history of the gentlemen’s game, India and Afghanistan have locked horns with each other in a total of five T20 Internationals.
India has the upper hand in the records as they have won a total of four games. Afghanistan is yet to score a win against the Men in Blue in the shortest format of the game as the one match between the two teams ended without a result.
Key Player
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan): The Indian pitches are known for providing an extra edge to the spinners and thus Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be the player to watch out for in the second T20I on Sunday.
Rahman showed good bowling skills in the first game as he dismissed two Indian batters, including Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma while conceding only 21 runs in his four overs. Playing at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, the spinner is expected to replicate his fine performance to help his team make a comeback and level the series.
Shivam Dube (India): Shivam Dube took home the Player of the Match award as India locked horns with Afghanistan in the first match of the series. The Chennai Super Kings star made heads turn owing to his brilliant performance both with the bat and ball. In the first innings, he dismissed the opposition skipper Ibrahim Zadran while he was playing at a score of 25 runs off 22 balls.
Shivam Dube was the Player of the match in the first T20 International against Afghanistan
In two overs, Dube conceded only nine runs to record an impressive economy rate of 4.5. The 30-year-old excelled with the bat as well, with a splendid knock of 60 runs off 40 balls. Dube’s knock helped India chase 159 runs in the allotted 20 overs and the all-rounder is expected to weave the same magic on Sunday.
Predicted XIs
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran ©, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad
India: Rohit Sharma ©, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar
Prediction
India will be the team with momentum on Sunday as they are coming after scoring a six-wicket win in the first T20 International. The Men in Blue, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, are enjoying a lead of 1-0 and are expected to seal the series in the second T20I.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan team is expected to take learnings from their loss in the first T20 International and put up a good fight in the second match.