Team India led by Virat Kohli will face an optimistic Afghanistan in their effort to qualify for World Cup Semis. India began the tournament as one of the favourites, but after two losses in the Super 12, they will need to win their next 3 group games to increase their net run rate and rely on other results to get to the semi-finals.
Afghanistan is second in the group behind group leaders Pakistan, and a win would increase their chances of making the last four. With Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman sharing 13 wickets between them, Afghanistan has perhaps the greatest spin attack in the tournament. Rashid, who took 100 wickets in 53 T20 internationals, single-handedly put Pakistan to the test with his leg-spin before being blown away by an Asif Ali batting blitz. Mujeeb, a mysterious spinner with practically all the variations, had his best T20 stats of 5-20 in his team’s 130-run thrashing of Scotland, but he had missed the previous match.
India has a history of outstanding spin bowling, yet Kohli and Sharma were both bowled by New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Kohli’s team is under enormous pressure after losing two games in a row, with the country’s cricket board now being accused of exhausting its players by holding the IPL just two days before the World Cup begins. The Team Selection is also criticised to bench senior spinner Aswin and the inclusion of Hardik Pandya, who was supposed to play the finisher role but failed to score many runs with the bat.
This match with Afghanistan is very crucial for India as winning doesn’t make any big difference but losing will put an end to India’s hope to Reach Semis.
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