2024-01-17 06:29:16
India will be going up against Afghanistan in the third T20I of the three-match series on Wednesday in Bengaluru. The Rohit Sharma have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and will now play for a clean sweep. In the previous match, star batter Virat Kohli gave his appearance in the T20I cricket after a gap of 14 months. However, he only managed to score 29 runs off 16 balls. On the other hand, skipper Rohit Sharma, who also returned to the format, failed to give a remarkable performance as he got dismissed for duck in both the matches.
As the third T20I is just a dead rubber, the hosts might now look to test their bench strength, which includes the likes of Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, and Avesh Khan.
In the second match, Kohli replaced Tilak Varma in the Playing XI and took the No 3 spot. On the other hand, all-rounder Shivam Dube has given outstanding performances in both the matches and has sealed his place in the team.
Dube shone with both bat and ball and played a crucial role in India’s victory. He scalped wickets and also smashed half-centuries in both the matches.
It is also highly likely that the management might bring in wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson in the team, replacing Jitesh Sharma. Though Jitesh has proven himself to be a great finisher, India will look to give a chance to their veteran player, in order to prepare for the World Cup.
When it comes to all-rounders, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar emerge as the two strong options. However, there are chances that Kuldeep Yadav might get a chance, in place of Sundar.
Talking about the fast bowlers, Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar have been handling the pace department well but the management can also bring in Avesh Khan into the attack.
India’s Predicted XI for 3rd T20I: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar/Avesh Khan.
