ICC T20 World Cup 2021, India vs Afghanistan: Men in Blue take on dark horse Afghans in do-or-die match

India are in a precarious position with semi-final qualification out of their hands after two defeats in two matches. (Twitter/BCCI)

ICC T20 World Cup 2021, India vs Afghanistan: A desperate India today will look to secure their first win of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Pakistan and New Zealand to have any hope of qualifying for the semi-finals. However, Afghanistan will be a tricky test for a Team India side that has failed to fire on all cylinders.

The likes of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul failed to shine in their first two matches and will look to get on the act against an Afghanistan side that has won hearts with their displays on the field.

India vs Afghanistan History: India and Afghanistan have played each other twice in ICC T20 World Cups, with the Men in Blue winning both the matches.

India vs Afghanistan Venue, Time: The do-or-die encounter for India takes place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The match is scheduled to being at 7.30 PM.

Where to Watch India vs Afghanistan Live: The match will telecast live on the Star Sports Network and DD Sports. The Disney+ Hotstar app/website will also run a livestream of the match.

India vs Afghanistan Form Guide: India are in a precarious position with semi-final qualification out of their hands after two defeats in two matches. The Men in Blue need results of other matches going their way apart from securing victories in their remaining three games to stand a chance of qualifying for the last four.

Pakistan, with four wins from four matches, have already secured on semi-final berth. If New Zealand also win their remaining three matches, India will be knocked out of the tournament in the Super 12. To have any chance of qualifying, India will need to beat Afghanistan then hope their Asian counterparts will do them a favour and beat the Black Caps.

If both India and New Zealand end with equal number of points, net run-rate will decide the second semi-finalist from the group.

Gavaskar’s suggestion: Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar has suggested replacing Varun Chakravarthy with Ravichandran Ashwin, suggesting Afghanistan could play the mystery spinner than other teams.

In a television interview, Gavaskar said there would be no harm in playing with three spinners. He added a top spinner such as Ashwin wouldn’t be bothered if he is bowling to a right hander or a left hander.

CEO speaks: Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Naseeb Khan is looking forward to a good match today. Speaking to ANI, Khan said it was an important match for both teams to stay in the knockout race. He added it was a crucial match for India, while a win would take Afghanistan closer to the top two.

India vs New Zealand Key Battles: Several mini battles will determine the match outcome when India take on Afghanistan.

Virat Kohli vs Rashid Khan: Indian skipper Virat Kohli has scored 66 runs, the highest for Team India, in two games. The Royal Challengers Bangalore batter succumbed to Ish Sodhi’s spin against New Zealand. He will up for another challenge against Rashid Khan. Kohli struggled against the spinner in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 on the same pitches, scoring 18 runs off 19 balls. Rashid is also in good form, with seven wickets so far in the tournament.

Rohit Sharma vs Naveen-ul Haq: Having struggled with the bat, Rohit Sharma can redeem himself with a knock against Afghanistan. But in Naveen ul Haq, he will face a formidable opponent, going by recent performances. The 22-year-old is extremely fast and his sling shot action can trouble the Mumbai Indians batter in what promises to be an exciting battle.

Mohammed Nabi vs Ravindra Jadeja: Ravindra Jadeja has had a disappointing tournament, especially considering his recent exploits with the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. He surrendered 23 runs in two overs against New Zealand while his batting has also come under the lens. Nabi is not having the best tournament either. But his explosive batting lower down the order and ability to get the odd breakthrough can change the fate of a game. Whoever wins this battle, might just control the outcome.