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India and Afghanistan are all set to kick off the three-match T20I series on Thursday, January 11, at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. Notably, this will be India’s final T20I stint before the all-important T20 World Cup that’s scheduled to take place later this year.
The series will see Indian cricketing greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning to the format, with the former resuming the captaincy duties. While Hardik Pandya was slated to lead the Indian team for the series against Afghanistan, an injury that he sustained during the ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh has him sidelined.
Suryakumar was the next captaincy choice, having led the team successfully against Australia and South Africa, but he was diagnosed with a sports hernia which prevented him from participating. The Indian squad is a mix of experience and young blood, with players like Jitesh Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh receiving a call-up.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, are coming off a 2-1 series win against the UAE. After winning the first game, Afghanistan lost the second game as UAE leveled the series. They bounced back to win the third T20I, in what turned out to be a close contest. Though India will be the favorite to win the series, Afghanistan would be hoping to put up a fight and turn the tables around.
India vs Afghanistan Match Details
Match: India vs Afghanistan, 1st T20I, Afghanistan tour of India
Date and Time: January 11, 2024, 7:00 PM IST
Venue: PCA Stadium, Mohali
India vs Afghanistan Head-to-Head
India and Afghanistan have squared off in 5 T20Is, with the former winning four. With one of the five games seeing no result, Afghanistan are yet to grab a victory against India in the format.
Matches Played: 5
India: 4
Afghanistan: 0
No result: 1
India vs Afghanistan Pitch Report
The surface at the PCA Stadium in Mohali is a balanced one, providing equal assistance to batters and bowlers. While scoring runs would be easier as the pitch wears out, the pacers would benefit from the new ball. The spinners too will have a role to play as the game progresses. The chasing sides have had the upper hand in the previously contested games at the venue.
India vs Afghanistan Weather Report
The temperature in Mohali is expected to hover around six degrees Celsius in the evening on match day. Though there is no forecast for rain, the extremely cold weather conditions in Northern India might affect the game.
India vs Afghanistan Probable XIs
India
Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar
Afghanistan
Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Qais Ahmad
India vs Afghanistan Match Prediction
Looking at the previous results of both teams, their current form, and the squad strength, India will have an edge over Afghanistan and will likely win the forthcoming contest.
Prediction: India to win the match
India vs Afghanistan Live Streaming details and channel list
TV: Sports18 Network
Live Streaming: JioCinema
