IND vs AFG Match Preview- ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Match 43, Super 8

India takes on Afghanistan in their first Super 8 match on Thursday, June 20. They have been unbeaten in this World Cup so far and will take on Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Australia in the three matches.

IND vs AFG Date and Venue

The IND vs AFG Super 8 match will be played in Barbados on June 20 from 8 pm IST which is 10.30 am local time.

IND vs AFG Match Preview- ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Match 43, Super 8

India

India begin their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan. The Afghans have been rampant in this World Cup and so far the Indian team is looking to stop their juggernaut. Team India themselves have been on a roll However, there are a few concerns heading into this crucial game.

The decision to open with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has not worked out so far. Yashasvi Jaiswal should now be included in the XI and Kohli should be asked to bat at three which is his preferred position. Another major change should include Kuldeep Yadav with the Caribbean pitches likely to assist spinners.

It will be interesting to see whether both Kuldep and Chahal can play. Inia can look to bench Shivam Dube now and include Kuldeep. For Chahal, Jadeja can be dropped as he has not yet proved himself in T20Is as a better.

India Squad

Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj

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Afghanistan

Afghanistan have been playing very good cricket since the last ODI World Cup in India. Their batters have been consistent and well backed up by the bowlers. There is now plenty of experience in both batting and bowling departments on that side. 

Rashid Khan can now depend on his senior players to get the job done. The batting is top-heavy with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran in good form. Gurbaz is the top scorer in the.

The bowling has good depth and variety as well. Fazalhaq Farooqi is the top wicket-taker in this tournament so far with 12 wickets. Rashid Khan has six. Naveen-Ul-Haq and Mohammad Nabi are also there in the bowling lineup.

Afghanistan Squad

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi

India vs AFG Key Battles

Virat Kohli vs Naveen-Ul-Haq

The rivalry between the two has spiced up since IPL 2023. Both came face to face in the T20I series played between India and Afghanistan earlier this year as well. We can have another face-off in this match.

Rohit Sharma vs Fazalhaq Farooqi

Rohit has had problems against left-arm pacers in his career. We have seen Trent Boult dismissing him in the IPL and Dilshan Madushanka in the World Cup. Farooqi who has taken most of his wickets in the powerplay would like to dismiss the Indian skipper.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah will bowl to Gurbaz who is the top-scorer in the tournament as of now. The youngster had batted well in this tournament so far and this is expected to be another crucial battle.

IND vs AFG Key Players 

For India, as always Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been key players in ICC events. With the ball, Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh will be key. Kuldeep Yadav can be another key bowler if he is included in the playing XI.

For Afghanistan, Gurbaz and Ibrahim will be their key batters. With the ball, Rashid, Naveen, Nabi, and Farooqi will be key.

IND vs AFG Weather and Pitch Report

The match starts at 10.30 am local time. There should be plenty of sunshine. Humidity levels will be almost 75 percent. As of now, the weather forecast says that there is a 60 percent chance of rain. A lot of matches have been affected by rain in this World Cup and this might too.

Conclusion

India are unbeaten against Afghanistan in T20Is having won seven out of the eight games. The Afghans have played an impressive brand of cricket so far and Team India should not make the mistake of taking them lightly.

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