Big picture: Virat Kohli returns to T20I action
Kohli is set to return for the second T20I in Indore – India’s second last before the T20 World Cup gets underway in the USA and the West Indies in June. He hasn’t scored freely against spin in T20 cricket – he has the second-lowest strike rate against spin among batters who have played at least 50 innings in the IPL in the past five seasons – so, this will be a good test for him against Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi. There is also considerable interest around whether Rohit can dominate T20I powerplays like he did the ODI powerplays at the World Cup last year.
The inclusion of Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar has given India six bowling options and stretches their batting down to No. 8. Dube was dropped for the T20I series in South Africa and had previously warmed the bench during the home T20Is against Australia, but could make a serious case to be picked in India’s T20 World Cup squad as Hardik Pandya’s back-up, especially if he has a strong IPL season.
India WWLWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Afghanistan LWLWW
In the spotlight: Jitesh Sharma and Azmatullah Omarzai
Team news: Zazai for Rahmat?
Kohli will play his first T20I in more than a year. If Jaiswal is fit, he will replace Shubman Gill at the top. Wristspinner Ravi Bishnoi, who leaked 35 runs in three overs in the first T20I, could make way for Kuldeep Yadav. At some point in the series, India might also be tempted to test out Avesh Khan in place of a quick or a spinner.
India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal/Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mukesh Kumar/Avesh Khan
Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Hazratullah Zazai/Rahmat Shah, 3 Ibrahim Zadran (capt), 4 Azmatullah Omarzai, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Karim Janat, 8 Gulbadin Naib, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pitch and conditions: Indore is full of runs
Stats and trivia: Kohli on the brink of another landmark
“We want to try our bowlers in different situations of the game. Like you saw, Washy [Washington] bowled the 19th over [in Mohali]. We want to challenge the bowlers in the areas they are not used to.”
India captain Rohit Sharma
“The bilateral series [against India] is a step in the right direction for our side. It’s an indication of the progress made by the side.”
Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott
