After winning th first two T20Is in style, Team India hopes to wrap up the three-match series against Afghanistan on a triumphant note. The third and final T20I between the Asian rivals will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on January 17.
Having claimed a six-wicket victory in the opening game, India once again beat Afghanistan by the same margin in the second T20I in Indore too.
The visiting unit batted first and scored a competitive 172, riding on a 57-run knock from Gulbadin Naib. Among the other Afghan batters, only three could breach the 20-run mark though.
For India, Arshdeep Singh was the star performer with the ball. The young pacer fetched three scalps while the spin duo of Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi picked one wicket each.
Yashasvi Jaiswal gave India a powerful start despite losing his opening partner Rohit Sharma early in the first over. Upon his T20I return, Virat Kohli struck 29 off 16 balls. Shivam Dube continued his red-hot form and slammed a second consecutive half-century of the series. The 30-year-old all-rounder registered an unbeaten 62 and his knock comprised five fours and four sixes.
Bengaluru T20I Pitch Report
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is known for its affinity for the batters, courtesy of its smaller boundaries and flat pitch.
However, the pitch looked quite different in the last T20I played here, with India defending a target of 160 runs against Australia. Pacers should look for early wickets while bowling with the new ball. The team batting second has enjoyed more success in Bengaluru. Thus, the toss will be key in the third T20I between India and Afghanistan.
Bengaluru T20I Weather Report
The weather in Bengaluru is expected to remain warm and cloudy on January 17. There is no chance of rain affecting India’s hopes of completing a whitewash. The temperature could hover from 16 degrees Celsius to 29 degrees Celsius through the day while the humidity is anticipated to be around 55-65 percent. The wind speed will be around 10-15 km/h during the 20-over clash.
IND vs AFG T20I Full Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib
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