The Indian cricket team will be playing their first Super 8 Group 1 match in the T20 World Cup 2024 against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. After making it through to the next round of the tournament with three wins in three completed matches, India will be buoyed about their chances to keep the winning run going.
The pitch and conditions for India will be a bit different in the Caribbean, compared to the USA, but they are well-equipped to take on all comers in the ongoing tournament. In this article, SportsTiger looks at India’s probable playing XI versus Afghanistan in the Super 8 Group 1 clash of the T20 World Cup 2024.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, scored a fifty on a tricky surface at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York early in the T20 World Cup 2024, helping the team get over the line against Ireland, following which he missed on scoring a big one. Virat Kohli, one of the best batters in the world, has been in woeful form in the tournament, scoring only five runs in three innings, but the right-handed batter is expected to turn a corner like he has done many times before.
Middle Order: Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya
Rishabh Pant’s return to international cricket has been a very good one, scoring some quick-fire runs at the top of the order, while his wicket-keeping skills have been top-notch as well. Suryakumar Yadav scored a much needed fifty in a tricky run chase against the USA alongside Shivam Dube’s impressive cameo, ensuring that India didn’t suffer a fate like Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Hardik Pandya has been exceptional with the ball for the Indian cricket team in the T20 World Cup 2024, finding his name among the top wicket-takers, while his batting is only going to get better as the tournament progresses.
Lower Middle Order: Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel
Ravindra Jadeja has done nothing of note with the bat, ball, and field in the T20 World Cup 2024, which is a cause of worry for the Indian team management, but he has the ability to deliver results when it really matters. Axar Patel batted a couple of times in the tournament, and did his job admirably, while his bowling was quite impressive in terms of keeping the batters in check.
Tailenders: Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
Kuldeep Yadav is expected to play a big role for India in the spinning conditions in the Caribbean after sitting on the bench in the USA, where the pitches assisted the fast bowlers. Arshdeep Singh has emerged as a strike bowler for India in the T20I format in the last couple of years, and his wickets in the powerplay stage could prove to be a major difference maker for India in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Jasprit Bumrah has bowled splendidly in the early stage of the tournament, single-handedly winning the game for India against Pakistan with one of the best spells in recent memory.