India aim to hone their form ahead of the Asian Games as they face official hosts Afghanistan in the first of three T20Is at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium.
India and Afghanistan are set to renew their rivalry in a three-match T20I series beginning Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. In a unique twist, Afghanistan serves as the official host for the three-game series in the heart of the Indian capital.
Led by 31-year-old captain Shreyas Iyer, India enter the series as clear favourites as they refine their form ahead of the Asian Games in Japan. After clinching their second successive T20 World Cup title in March, India faced a bumpy stretch featuring a shock series defeat to Ireland in June, a 0-4 loss to England, and a bounce-back series victory in Zimbabwe.
The series marks the return of fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who turns 33 in December and is back at full tilt after India's bowling unit struggled in the United Kingdom. On the batting front, 15-year-old southpaw Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will look to continue his impressive form after striking two half-centuries in Harare against Zimbabwe, though he faces a short-pitched examination from Afghanistan pacers Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
For Afghanistan, the series serves as an opportunity to integrate the setup of new captain Ibrahim Zadran and coach Richard Pybus. The visiting squad features key performers including Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, while India's squad includes Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Cricket. Photo courtesy The Hindu Cricket.