A key focus of pre-match discussions has been the make-up of the Indian team, with PTI reporting that India must decide whether to stick with the same line-up that was successful in the group stage or sacrifice a fast bowler to include last year’s top spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the squad.
At the start of the tournament, captain Rohit Sharma had expressed interest in using all four all-rounders — Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Akshar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.
This approach has worked well in the pitcher-friendly environment of New York, and Rohit is likely to remain with the team, batting as late as No.8.
To bring in Kuldeep, India will need to leave out either Mohammed Siraj or Arshdeep Singh, with Siraj more likely to be on the bench.
Recent practice sessions have shown that the pitch favours spinners, strengthening Kuldeep’s position. Moreover, the gentle breeze at Kensington Oval may help the pace bowlers swing the ball during the powerplay.
All eyes will be on Kohli, who is yet to reach double figures in the tournament. His aggressive approach did not bear fruit in New York, but he is expected to thrive on better wickets in the Caribbean. The 35-year-old is known for his intense focus and dedication, as demonstrated in his training sessions.
Afghanistan advanced to the Super 8 after a heavy defeat to the West Indies in St Lucia, where their previously dominant bowling attack was thwarted by a strong West Indies batting line-up.
Captain Rashid Khan saw the defeat as a minor setback and insisted Afghanistan still had a strong chance of reaching the semi-finals.
“As bowlers, we need to come up with a plan to limit the runs to 10 or less. Morale is still pretty high and this loss won’t affect us. We have achieved our first target of qualifying for the Super Eight and now we just need to take the next step,” Rashid said.
Rashid will be heavily dependent on left-arm fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqui, who flourished in the powerplay and is the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets. Farooqui’s ability to swing and hit the ball will pose a big challenge for Rohit and Kohli.
Rashid himself will be looking to pick up wickets in the middle overs while maintaining a low economy rate.
team:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suriya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbuddin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammed Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (captain), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqui, Hazratullah Zazai, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Mohammed Ishaq, Nangeyaria Karote.
The match will begin at 8 PM IST.