IND vs AFG: Chasing 159, India lost four bowlers, but Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh led the team to beat Afghanistan by six wickets in the first T20 International at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium Mohali on January 11. India leads the tri-series by 1-0 with this victory.
India’s innings began with a disappointment when Ibrahim Zadran ran out Rohit Sharma (0) in the very first over. Shubman Gil (23) then lost his wicket in the fourth over to Mujeebur Rahman. Tilak Verma (26) gained some momentum but lost his door in the ninth over to Azmatullah Omarzai.
Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma’s partnership flourished after this. Sharma (31) was eventually bowled out by Mujeebur Rahman during the 14th over.
Rinku Singh (16*), who had been batting at the end of the innings, came up to bat, and it was game over. Shivam Dube scored his second T20 50, and India beat Afghanistan by six wickets.
Mujeebur Rahman, who played for Afghanistan, took two wickets. Azmatullah Ommarzai, on the other hand, picked up one wicket.
Afghanistan had earlier settled on 158/5 in the first T20 International against India. Mohammad Nabi, the top scorer for the visitors with a quick 42 from 27 balls, was the one to watch.
When asked to bat first, Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran (25″ off 22 balls) added 50 runs within eight overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23) could not push the pace.
Azmatullah Omarzai scored with a 29-ball 22. Axar Patel, a left-arm spinner, was India’s most successful bowler, with figures of 2/23. Mukesh Kumru bagged 2/33.
Rohit Sharma, the skipper of India, won the toss earlier and chose to bowl the first ball against Afghanistan in the opening T20 International.
Sanju Samson and Avesh Khan will not be able to play the match because of injuries. Kuldeep Yadav, Yashashvi, Jaiswal (who was selected as an opener along with the Captain on the eve before the first game), and Yashashvi, whom the Captain had finalized on the eve before the first match, are also out. Rohit stated at the toss that Yashashvi had “not pulled off well.”
Virat Kohli, the veteran Indian batsman, is not available to be selected for the first game due to “personal reasons.” Shubman Gil is expected to fill the number three spot in the absence of Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. Coach Rahul Dravid confirmed that Rohit and Yashasvi will open India’s batting.
Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Sanju Samson will also be expected to secure a spot in the Indian playing team, filling almost all the holes in the Indian top-six batting line-up.
Afghanistan has suffered a major setback ahead of the India T20 series, with Rashid Khan, their star bowler, being ruled ineligible to play.
The Afghan coach, Jonathan Trott, has taken Rashid’s absence in stride, noting that it’ll be interesting to see if anyone steps up to replace the key player.
Trott stated at the press conference before the match, “Obviously, we will miss a player such as Rashid, the leadership he provides and the package he offers to the team.”
It will be interesting to see which players are willing to take the responsibility and face the pressure just a few months after the World Cup.
Highlights of Matches
IND vs AFG: India was without Yashasvi, as the young opener was ruled out due to a groin injury at the last minute. Kuldeep Yadav and Sanju Samson, along with Avesh Khan, were also absent.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and India last played in a T20I on November 20, 2022. This was during the 2021 T20 World Cup Semi-Final against England. Hardik Pandya is India’s de-facto captain for the shortest form, so many people may have thought that Kohli and Rohit had retired unofficially from the format.
Kohli is set to play in the second T20I and third T20I. The Afghanistan series is India’s final practice for the T20I World Cup, which West Indies and the United States will host.
- Shivam Dube remains unbeaten with 60 from 40 balls.
- Axar Patel was the leader as India squeezed Afghanistan in the opening ten overs.
- The visitors fought back later with a partnership of 68 runs between Azmatullah Nabi and Mohammad Omarzai.
- Afghanistan also had a strong finish and set a target for India of 159.
- Rohit Sharma was the winner of the toss, and he chose to bowl first.
- Yashasvi is out due to a last-minute groin injury.
Player of the Match: Shivam Dube
It was really cold. It was a great experience to play on this field. There was a little pressure, and I only had one goal in mind:
I had to perform my best. After the first 2-3 balls, I felt some pressure. I then focused on the ball, and I knew I could hit sixes. When I was bowling, I had the chance to execute.
Rohit Sharma Indian Captain
It rained a lot. Now I’m fine. It hurts when the ball hits my fingertip. It was good in the end. We learned a lot, particularly with the ball, from this match.
The spinners and seamers both did a great job. You want to be there (on the run out) and score runs for your team. You will always get something you like.
I wanted Gill to continue. Lots of positives. Dube, Jitesh, Tilak, and Rinku are all in great form. We want to push ourselves into uncomfortable areas. We want to be the best.
Ibrahim Zadran Afghanisthan Captain
Our team was short by 30-40 runs. We lost the toss, but our boys fought until the end. We wanted to get off to a good start during the powerplay.
We lost wickets, and one of us was forced to bat until the 14th and 15th. This put a little pressure on him. The second time around, it was dewy.
The bowlers had a hard time gripping. We need to improve our fielding. We were a little lazy. We will also improve our batting. There’s no problem with bowling.
Rinku Sing – My habit is to bat at six and finish games. I am very satisfied with my job. The cold weather was great, but it was hard to field. I tell myself that batting at 6, I won’t be able to score many runs or face many balls. Mahi bhai, MS Dhoni told me to keep calm and react to the ball. I do the same. While batting, I respond to the balls.
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