NEW DELHI: The highly-anticipated return of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the T20I format after a gap of 14 months will draw significant attention as Team India gets set to take on a dangerous Afghanistan side in the first T20I on Thursday.
The three-match series holds significant importance as it marks India's final T20I series before the upcoming T20 World Cup in June in the US and Caribbean.
However, the final selection of the final 15-member squad hinges on the performance of the core group during the IPL, preceding the ICC event.
With Rohit and Kohli back in the T20I mix, their presence is almost certain in the squad. The experienced duo will look to maximize their contributions in the games against Afghanistan, who will be without their star spinner Rashid Khan.
Fresh from their remarkable performance in the ODI World Cup in India, where they surpassed all expectations with a series of upsets, Afghanistan enter the upcoming series brimming with confidence, particularly in a format that aligns best with their strengths.
Despite the setback of Rashid's injury-enforced absence, the team stands at full strength following the resolution of contractual issues involving key players like Mujeeb Zadran, Naveen-Ul Haq, and Fazalhaq Farooqi with the country's cricket board.
Here's everything you need to know about the first T20I of the three-match series between India and Afghanistan:
What: India vs Afghanistan, 1st T20I
When: January 11 (Thursday)
Where: Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali
Time: 7 pm IST
Where to watch: Live stream/telecast on Jio Cinema, Sports 18 Network and DD Sports
Where to follow Live: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports
Playing XIs (Likely):
India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen Ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib
