Team India is set to go into their final 20-over assignment ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Led by Rohit Sharma, the Men in Blue will play a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on home soil. It also marks the first-ever limited-over bilateral series involving these two Asian countries.
Both teams, however, have faced off each other several times for a 20-over game earlier in the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup. India will square off against Afghanistan for the first T20I at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on January 11, with the on-field actions starting at 7 PM IST.
By evaluating the performance of each player during the Afghanistan series, the Indian team management hopes to get an idea about the potential squad that will feature at the T20I World Cup. Rohit Sharma, who has been recalled for the home series, hasn’t played any T20I game since the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Apart from the opener, Virat Kohli is also making a comeback to the shortest format after a long hiatus. On the other hand, Ibrahim Zadran will continue to lead the Afghanistan side which includes several in-form players like Rashid Khan, Rahamanullah Gurbaz, Mujeeb Rahman and Naveen-ul-Haq.
India vs Afghanistan First T20I Pitch Report:
The wicket at Mohali’s Punjab Cricket Association Stadium is known as a batting paradise. In the last T20I hosted at the venue, Australia were able to chase down a mammoth target of 209. The average first-innings score on this ground in T20Is is 183. Pacers can enjoy bowling when the ball remains new during the initial overs, while spinners will come in handy later in the game. Considering the dew factor, the chasing unit will have more chance to emerge victorious.
India vs Afghanistan First T20I Weather Report:
The weather in Mohali is expected to remain partly cloudy on January 11. However, there is no possibility of rain playing a spoilsport during the opening T20I between India and Afghanistan. The temperature could hover around 7 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius, while the humidity is anticipated to be around 75-88 percent. The wind speed will be around 13-16 km/h during the 50-over clash.
India vs Afghanistan First T20I Full Squads:
India Full Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
Afghanistan Full Squad: Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib
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