All attention is focused on Captain Rohit Sharma in the initial match of India’s concluding T20 series before the T20 World Cup. Anticipated to make a comeback alongside Rohit against Afghanistan on Thursday, Virat Kohli, however, will be absent due to family reasons, as clarified by Coach Rahul Dravid on the eve of the match. Kohli is expected to join the team for the last two matches of the series.
This marks Rohit Sharma’s return to T20 action since November 2022, and it is also the inaugural T20 series between India and Afghanistan. A positive development for India is the absence of Afghanistan’s formidable spinner Rashid Khan throughout the series, still recovering from surgery undergone in November last year.
The Indian team reconvened at the PCA Stadium upon their return from South Africa. Initially, it was assumed that both Rohit and Virat would make a simultaneous T20 comeback after 14 months. However, with Dravid’s revelations, the focus now shifts solely to Rohit. It’s speculated that in this match, Captain Rohit might open with Yashasvi Jaiswal, while local player Shubman Gill could take the top spot, and Tilak Verma is also likely to be in the playing XI.
As the final T20 series before the World Cup unfolds, Indian cricketers are determined to showcase their skills. The team selection for the World Cup will be based on the performance of core group players in the IPL. With the World Cup scheduled for June in America and West Indies, Rohit Sharma shoulders the responsibility to replicate his impactful starts in the ODI World Cup.
In the absence of Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh from Aligarh is entrusted with the role of a finisher. Having impressed in South Africa, another strong performance here could almost guarantee his selection for the T20 World Cup. With the sudden return from South Africa, either Vidarbha’s Jitesh Sharma or Sanju Samson is expected to take the wicketkeeping duties, with Jitesh having a compelling case. Shivam Dubey may step in for Hardik, and Kuldeep Yadav is set to lead the spin department.
Afghanistan’s Captain Ibrahim Zadran acknowledges the challenge of Rashid Khan’s absence, citing his incomplete fitness. Zadran emphasizes the need for other players to step up and prove themselves. The probable playing XI for both teams is as follows:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav/Ravi Bishnoi, Mukesh Kumar.
Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Umzai, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Sharfuddin Ashraf, Qais Ahmed, Noor Ahmed/Naveen Ul Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqui.
