Venue is changing, so will the fate of Team India also change today? All the Indian sports lovers are doing the same thing. India will play their third match of the Super 12 of the T20 World Cup 2021 against Afghanistan at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi today. Earlier, India played their match against Pakistan and New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and the Indian team had to face defeat in both the matches.
To keep alive their bleak hopes of reaching the semi-finals of this World Cup, it will not be enough for Team India to win this match but defeat Afghanistan by a huge margin. There is no doubt that this task is not impossible if Team India plays to its full potential, but considering the performance of Afghanistan in this T20 World Cup and the current form of Indian players, it cannot be called easy. Afghanistan have registered big wins in two of their three matches (against Scotland and Namibia). Whereas he slipped on reaching the verge of victory against Pakistan.
Had there been any other time, there would have been no comparison between the teams of India and Afghanistan, but at this time when the confidence of Team India is shaken, Afghanistan cannot be underestimated. Although the clear favorite of the match is Team India, the Indian batsmen need to be careful with Afghanistan’s spin attack. Everyone is aware of the status of Rashid Khan in limited overs cricket. Apart from Rashid, Afghanistan have talented spinners like Mujeeb ur Rahman and Muhammad Nabi, who can be heavy for any team to take lightly. If Mujeeb is not fit then Sharfuddin Ashraf can be included in the XI. Against Namibia, their fast bowlers have also done their job well. So as a bowling unit, the Afghanistan team looks balanced. But if batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Sky and Hardik return to their form, then the challenge of Afghanistan’s bowlers can be blown away.
Batting has always been Afghanistan’s weak side. There has been a lack of consistency in his batting. Therefore, the speculation is that to save the batsmen from pressure, Afghanistan would like to score runs on the score board first after winning the toss. Whereas Team India can bat later. Afghanistan will not benefit from the experience of Asghar Afghan, who retired after the last match.
It remains to be seen whether Virat gives R Ashwin a place in the playing XI today or not? If Surya Kumar Yadav is fit, either Ishaan or Hardik may have to sit out. It will also be interesting to see whether Rohit Sharma comes to open the innings or not? Well, cricket experts believe that opening is the right place for Rohit. And then play captain Virat at number three. In T20 cricket, you should allow your best batsman to play as many balls as possible so that the team can score big.
Overall, if we talk about today’s match, then there will be no hesitation in saying that the Indian team has the upper hand in the match. But there will also be pressure on Team India to win with a big margin, so the Indian team needs to show mental toughness. In this World Cup, we have seen Indian players falling apart under pressure. In such a situation, it is necessary that the Indian players believe in their own ability. If Team India plays the match with a positive attitude, it will not be impossible for them to win a big victory.
Writer- Rakesh Ranjan Katariar
