In the first-ever bilateral T20I series between the two teams, India (IND) will aim to completely destroy Afghanistan (AFG). In the first two Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) of this series, which started on January 11, India easily defeated Afghanistan in Mohali and Indore.
On Wednesday, January 17, the third and final Twenty20 International match will take place at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Afghanistan will have a fantastic opportunity to win a game and spare themselves a 3-0 loss to India. The short boundaries of the Bengaluru pitch make it an ideal place for batting. In order to prepare for the game plan, both teams will want to win the toss and bowl first.
We give you the top 3 player fights to watch out for in the third Twenty20 International between India and Afghanistan. In the meantime, the outcome for either team will rely on how their players perform on any given day.
To further explore this topic, here are three player encounters to be aware of throughout the India vs. Afghanistan game:
3. Rahmanullah Gurbaz against Ravi Bishnoi
In the two games he has played thus far in this series, Ravi Bishnoi has proved costly for India. He has two wickets to show for his 10.57 economy rate in the series. Nevertheless, Bishnoi’s tendency to get hammered when bowling to openers in powerplay overs has contributed to his high economy rate.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who hasn’t performed well so far, will be his rival. Against the UAE, he had achieved the fastest T20I century by an Afghan batsman, but after two games in this series, he has only amassed 37 runs. The last match will be an exciting struggle to witness, especially with Bishnoi bowling on a small-boud wicket that is conducive to batting.
2. Vidrat Kohli vs. Naveen Ul Haq
After missing 14 months of T20I cricket, Virat Kohli returned with a bang, scoring 29 runs in 16 balls and hitting five fours in the second T20I in Indore. Along with Jaiswal, he appeared to be quite hazardous in the pursuit of 173 runs and posed a threat to call off the chase early. But it was not to be, as he miscued a ball off Naveen ul Haq and was caught at mid-on. However, Bengaluru is his home field in the IPL, so success here is anticipated.
Even if Virat Kohli and Naveen ul Haq have called off their argument, their animosity will still exist on the pitch when they play each other at the same stadium in Bengaluru, where the IPL all started. With an economy of 11.69 in both T20Is, Naveen has been pricey. He has conceded 76 runs in 6.3 overs and has claimed just one wicket.
1. Rohit Sharma versus Fazalhaq Farooqi
It was unexpected when Rohit Sharma returned to T20Is after a 14-month absence. In the opening Twenty20 International in Mohali, he was out for a duck. Even worse, in the opening over of the second Twenty20 International, he was bowled when attempting a crazy shot, this time for a golden duck.
Even though he led India to victory in both games, there have been concerns about his batting ability. Despite the batting-friendly track, Fazalhaq Farooqi will be playing with his tail up when he runs into a ball to Rohit Sharma in Bengaluru. In order to end India’s captain’s dismal series, he will try to get Rohit’s wicket once in the third Twenty20 International.