3 changes India need to make for the 3rd T20I vs Afghanistan

Team India will cross swords with Afghanistan in the final T20I of the three-match series at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, January 17.

India made two changes for the second T20I, which they won by six wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. While Yashasvi Jaiswal recovered from a groin niggle to play a match-winning cameo, Virat Kohli returned after missing the series opener due to personal reasons and essayed a quickfire cameo.

This time around, they might be more keen on ringing in the tweaks, having already secured the series. In their final T20I before the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Men in Blue will want to give some untested players some time in the middle.

Team India's squad for the Afghanistan T20Is: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.

Here are three changes India need to make for the third T20I against Afghanistan.

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#3 Avesh Khan for Mukesh Kumar

Avesh Khan on his follow-through: India v Australia - T20I Series: Game 5

Mukesh Kumar's place in the Indian white-ball setup has been questioned ever since his inclusion, and he hasn't done enough to justify the selectors' faith in him. In T20Is, in particular, he has underwhelmed.

Mukesh has picked up just 12 wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate of 9.23. His bowling average of 30.66 isn't too impressive either, and his role in the team is uncertain. Expected to be the premier death bowler, the 30-year-old sent down just two overs in the previous T20I.

It's obvious that India need to look past Mukesh, and the manner in which he was used in the second T20I suggests that he shouldn't be a part of the XI in the dead-rubber clash. Avesh Khan, the only other pacer in the squad, has been in decent rhythm lately and should replace Mukesh.

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#2 Kuldeep Yadav for Washington Sundar

Kuldeep Yadav was in excellent rhythm in South Africa.

Another bowler who hasn't been in the thick of things in the two T20Is so far, Washington Sundar has sent down six wicketless overs for 50 runs. He hasn't gotten to bat either, with India scaling down the targets with ease.

Sundar looks out of place in the current T20I side, batting at No. 8 and not bowling his full quota. The off-spinner's bowling might be exposed at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where finger-spinners often struggle.

It would thus be understandable if Sundar is replaced by a wrist-spinner in Kuldeep Yadav, who was in excellent form in South Africa. The left-arm leggie, who is locked in battle with Ravi Bishnoi to become India's premier spinner, could play alongside his competitor in a direct shoot-out.

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#1 Sanju Samson for Jitesh Sharma

Sanju Samson smacked an ODI century in South Africa.

Jitesh Sharma is well-suited to a middle-order role and has also played a couple of enterprising cameos recently. But after his two-ball duck in the second T20I, it might be wise to give Sanju Samson a chance as the wicket-keeper.

Samson hammered a century in his last international outing and deserves an opportunity to make a mark against Afghanistan. With India not scheduled to play any more T20Is before the T20 World Cup, how he fares at No. 5 - even if it's for a solitary game - will give the team management an inkling of the path forward.

Jitesh should definitely continue to be in the T20I picture, as one failure doesn't change much. But for the Bengaluru clash, Samson replacing him seems ideal.