New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) India will look to seal the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan when they meet in the second game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, with the visitors needing a much-improved performance to keep the contest alive
India have a 1-0 lead after a dominant seven-wicket win in the opener. Afghanistan were reduced to 43/5 inside the Power-play before Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi revived the innings with an 83-run partnership. Omarzai’s unbeaten 64 off 44 balls helped Afghanistan reach 156/8, but the total proved inadequate.
Arshdeep Singh led India’s bowling effort with 3-9, while Jasprit Bumrah also struck early on his return. Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy added wickets as Afghanistan struggled to build momentum.
The chase was then turned into a one-sided affair by Abhishek Sharma, who smashed 82 off just 32 balls, including seven fours and seven sixes. Ishan Kishan contributed 42 as India reached 157/3 in only 13.4 overs.
Afghanistan’s immediate priority will be to survive India’s new-ball attack. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a duck in the opening over, and the visitors’ top order will need to provide a stronger platform for the likes of Omarzai, Nabi and Rashid Khan.
India, meanwhile, face a selection dilemma after their comfortable opening victory. Abhishek’s explosive 82 has strengthened his case at the top, while Sanju Samson managed only 10. The presence of Ishan Kishan, who scored 42, further adds to India’s batting options. Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could again be in contention, having missed the opener.
With Harshit Rana ruled out after suffering a rectus femoris strain, Yash Thakur has joined the squad as his replacement.
Afghanistan have plenty of match-winners in their ranks, including Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Naveen-ul-Haq. Captain Ibrahim Zadran, leading Afghanistan in his first series as full-time T20I skipper, will hope his side can translate that individual quality into a more disciplined performance.
For India, victory would wrap up the series. For Afghanistan, Tuesday offers a chance to force the contest into a decider.
When: Tuesday, September 15, 7:30 PM IST
Where: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
Where to watch: The match will be shown live on Sony Sports Ten 3, 4, and 5 SD & HD channels on TV. Live streaming will be available on the FanCode app and website.
Squads:
India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma (vc), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Yash Thakur
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Noor Rahman (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Naveen-ul-Haq.
–IANS
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