1st T20I Live Score: Will India pick Sooryavanshi over Samson in Delhi?
AFGHANISTAN XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq.
INDIA XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy.
A pleasant evening is setting in New Delhi as the cricket action continues. Itβs 33ΓΒ°C at the moment, with temperatures expected to dip to 29ΓΒ°C by 10:30 pm and 28ΓΒ°C by 1:30 am. Conditions should get more comfortable for the players as the night progresses.
Initially, the match was supposed to start at 7 pm. However, the match will now begin at 7:30 pm, with the toss happening half an hour before that.
About time for the #AFGvIND T20I series opener Γ°ŸŽΒ¬ Γ°Ÿ“ New Delhi Γ’Β° 7:30 PM IST Γ°Ÿ’Β» https://t.co/DTi7UzPc4R Γ°Ÿ“Β± Official BCCI App #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/G9ZZp3SU1q
On the eve of the series opener, India captain Shreyas Iyer acknowledged the obvious: having too many options is a good problem to have, but it is still a problem.
And nowhere is that more apparent than at the top of the batting order.
India have three explosive candidates in Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the returning Sanju Samson. Samson was left out of the Zimbabwe tour, while Sooryavanshi had to wait for his debut during the Ireland and England series. Now that all three are in the squad, the question is simple β how do India fit them in?
The toss may provide the first clue, but the current thinking points towards Sooryavanshi sitting this one out, with Samson and Abhishek opening the innings.
Ishan Kishan's fitness has added another twist. The wicketkeeper-batter suffered a back strain during training, although Iyer played down the seriousness of the injury. If Kishan is ruled out, Samson could potentially take over behind the stumps as well.
The selection headache does not end there.
India still have plenty of all-round options despite Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana being unavailable. Washington Sundar is back, while Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel are also in the mix.
Nitish could be particularly valuable given the balance he offers. He bowled at full intensity in training and could be given a longer run if India want an additional seam-bowling option.
The spin-bowling all-rounder spot could then become a toss-up between Axar and Washington, while Varun Chakravarthy is expected to return as the specialist spinner after his injury layoff, potentially pushing Ravi Bishnoi out.
At the other end, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are likely to form the pace attack. Yash Thakur, brought into the squad as Harshit's replacement, may have to wait a little longer for his chance.
For all the talk about Afghanistan being the hosts, India arguably have the bigger battle to win before the first ball is even bowled: figuring out who makes the XI.
Afghanistan are the hosts. India are the visitors. Yet both teams will be playing their cricket in New Delhi.
The three-match T20I series will be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where Afghanistan are technically the home side and India will occupy the visitorsβ dressing room. It is an unusual arrangement, even if Afghanistan have used India as a home base before. This will be the first time, however, that they host India on Indian soil.
Ibrahim Zadranβs side will have the status of hosts, although the newly appointed Afghanistan captain has said he has made no special requests regarding the conditions.
India arrived in Delhi on Wednesday to prepare for what is, technically, an away series. But beyond the unusual home-and-away labels, there is something more significant about this contest.
Shreyas Iyer has a near full-strength squad at his disposal, with Jasprit Bumrah fit and firing. Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana are the notable absentees, but India have otherwise brought together their strongest T20I group since winning the World Cup earlier this year.
For a three-match bilateral series, that is quite a statement.
The reason lies just around the corner. India will head to Japan after the Afghanistan series for the Asian Games, beginning on September 19 in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya. With an Olympic berth for 2028 at stake for the gold medallists, the BCCI have decided against taking the competition lightly, unlike several other South Asian teams that have opted for weakened squads.
India could also do with some momentum. Their T20I results since the World Cup triumph have been patchy, with defeats in Ireland and England before a recovery of sorts in Zimbabwe.
That makes Afghanistan an important final test. They are among the most dangerous sides in T20 cricket and offer India a competitive opportunity to fine-tune their game before the Asian Games.
The preparations in Delhi suggest India are taking it seriously. Bumrah has been bowling at full tilt, the batters have put in extended hours, and new fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh has already been putting the squad through its paces. Even light rain in the evenings has not disrupted India's schedule too much, with two full training sessions and an optional workout completed.
So yes, Afghanistan are the hosts and India are the visitors.
But for Shreyas Iyer and his team, this strange little home-away arrangement is about much more than which dressing room they use.
