India and Afghanistan, two of the strongest teams in Asian cricket, will play their first-ever bilateral Twenty20 International Series. On Thursday, January 11, the first match of the three-match series is scheduled to take place at the IS Bindra PCA stadium in Mohali. The event will be concluded with a third Twenty20 International in Bengaluru on January 14, after the second one in Indore on January 14.
Prior to this, the two countries had played five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), with India winning four of them and one—the Asian Games gold medal match—being rained out. India has played four T20Is in Mohali and has won three of them.
Two of India’s top T20I hitters, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, will be back in action. After a 14-month break, this will be their first 20-over contest. The two should put on a show. Despite the absence of Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s talented roster should be able to match the Indian team in a close contest.
The first Twenty20 International between Afghanistan and India features three player fights to be aware of:
1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Arshdeep Singh
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan’s first opener, is coming off a fantastic performance in the just-finished series against the United Arab Emirates. In the opening match in Sharjah, he made 20 and 21 in the next matches, and he scored 100 in just 52 balls. Gurbaz has amassed 1184 runs at a strike rate of 137.99 in 46 Twenty20 internationals, including one century and five fifties. India will need to make up a lot of ground if he takes off like a fly.
Arshdeep Singh, though, is an ace in the Indian team. The bowler has taken 59 wickets at an economy of 8.70 and a best of 4/37 in just 42 Twenty20 internationals. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, a left-arm pacer, has demonstrated vulnerability when the ball veers away from him. The bowler is recognized for swinging the ball both ways. Watching Arshdeep and Gurbaz clash will be essential.
2. Rohit Sharma vs Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Afghanistan’s bowling attack is renowned for starting with spinners, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman is typically that spinner. Mujeeb has mastered the skill of bowling with a new ball and is renowned for his ability to manipulate the ball in midair in addition to its ability to spin. With 56 wickets for Afghanistan in 43 Twenty20 Internationals, a best of 5/20 and an economy of 6.28, he has a strong record.
But India captain Rohit Sharma, a formidable batsman, awaits Mujeeb if he chooses to open the bowling. With a strike rate of 139.24 and 3853 runs, including four centuries, Sharma has played 148 Twenty20 internationals. He was attacking the bowling in the powerplay overs during the most recent World Cup, and the opposition will have problems if he does the same here. Nonetheless, Rohit’s previous struggles with spin will make their matchup intriguing.
3. Virat Kohli vs Naveen-Ul-Haq
The match between ace batter Virat Kohli and young Afghan prodigy Naveen-Ul-Haq is likely the biggest player match on the list. Even though the two may have put their past disagreement about words behind them in May 2024, there will undoubtedly be fireworks when they clash in Mohali.
The only batter in the world with more than 4,000 runs in Twenty20 Internationals is currently Virat Kohli. The New Delhi native has scored runs at a 52.73 average with a strike average of 137.96 in 115 games overall. The 34-year-old scored his first century in the format the last time he played the Afghans and, after nearly three years, finally reached the three-figure mark in international cricket.
With 39 wickets in 30 games, Naveen-Ul-Haq, on the other hand, has been playing brilliantly. Especially in the middle overs, Naveen may bowl a number of cutters and change up the pace. Because of this, their face-off is highly anticipated since he may have a solid chance to defeat the Indian hitter.
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