India vs Afghanistan Live Score Updates, 1st T20: Rohit Sharma led India will take on Afghanistan at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. The Indian skipper who is making a comeback in the shortest format of the game will look to win the Mohali game in style.
Fans, however, will miss the services of veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli who was named in the Indian XI for the Afghanistan series but isn’t available for selection in the 1st game owing to ‘personal reasons’. In Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav’s absence, Shubman Gill is expected to take the number 3 spot while coach Rahul Dravid has confirmed that Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the batting for India.
Meanwhile, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson are also expected to find a place in the Indian playing XI, settling almost all spots in the top 6 Indian batting lineup.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, have suffered a major blow ahead of the India series with star bowler Rashid Khan being ruled unfit to be part of the T20 series.
Afghan coach Jonathan Trott seems to have taken Rashid’s exclusion in good stride noting that it will be interesting to see who will stand up to take the key player’s place.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Trott said, “Obviously, we are going to miss a player like Rashid, his leadership and the overall package he brings to the side. But it’ll be good to see who is going to stand up and take responsibility and pressure, just a couple of months after the World Cup,”
India vs Afghanistan Live: Rahul Dravid confirms IND’s opening pair
India vs Afghanistan Live: Speaking at the pre-match press conference, coach Rahul Dravid said, “As of now, We’re certainly opening with Rohit and Jaiswal. But when you have a squad, you have to have that flexibility to do whatever is required if that is in the best interest of the team, and gives us the best chance to succeed. So nothing is closed. But certainly, we’re really happy with what Jaiswal has done as an opener for us, and he gives us a left-right combination as well at the top,”
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