Virat Kohli will miss the first Twenty20 international match between India vs Afghanistan for to personal reasons, head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed. The first Twenty20 International (T20I) between India and Afghanistan is scheduled to begin on Thursday, January 11, at the I.S. Bindra Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali. This news deals a serious blow to India.
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Dravid added that Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal will lead the squad in the opening innings during the pre-game news conference. Shubman Gill will therefore have difficulty breaking into the starting lineup. Nonetheless, Gill might be able to take over the number three spot going into the opening game due to Kohli’s unavailability.
In Suryakumar Yadav’s absence, Tilak Varma is expected to start at number four. In the absence of Hardik Pandya, he will also provide India with a sixth bowling option. Rinku Singh will continue to play at number five, rewarding his perfect record in international cricket. The team’s first-choice wicketkeeper is expected to be Jitesh Sharma, so Sanju Samson will have to wait for his opportunity.
Washginton Sundar and Axar Patel are facing off for the seventh position, although Axar’s recent form and resume should guarantee that he starts the series. Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav, who have both been in outstanding form, will face off for the final a port of call Kuldeep, who claimed five wickets in the third Twenty20 International against South Africa, was the team’s initial pick and is now expected to start.
Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan will all start for India because just three pacers were selected for the team.
Predicted the India XI’s:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan .
The Afghanistan Cricket Board’s Selection Committee has chosen a 19-member Afghanistan National Squad for the three-match Twenty20 International Series against India, which begins on Thursday, January 11 in Mohali, India.
Rashid Khan, the regular captain of Afghanistan’s Twenty20 international team, has been added to the list; however, he may not participate in any games while he recovers from recent back surgery.
After being absent from the three-match T20I series against the United Arab Emirates, Mujeeb Ur Rahman rejoins the squad to play against India. Ikram Alikhil, the reserve team’s batter who faced the United Arab Emirates, has been called up to the starting eleven as the backup wicket-keeper.
“We are excited to be going on our first tour to India for a three-match series,” said Mr. Mirwais Ashraf, Chairman of the AfghanistanCricket Board. The Afghan squad is doing a fantastic job playing India, the greatest side in the world, in a three-match Twenty20 International series. Since Afghanistan is no longer the underdog and has recently done well, we believe that the series against India will be quite tough.
Predicted Afghanistan Squad: Muhammad Zadran (C), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmadi, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Gulbadin Naib, and Rashid Khan were the members of the Afghanistan Squad.