India bat first against Afghanistan
Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first against Afghanistan in Barbados. This was the first time that India elected to bat after winning the toss at the 2024 T20 World Cup. On the previous two occasions they won the toss in the tournament, India opted to chase - against Ireland and the USA.
A change of combination for India
Through the four group stage games, India stuck with their combination of four seamers and two spinners. All those games were played in the United States of America, however.
India's Super Eights clash against Afghanistan is their first one in the Caribbean in this competition. Venues here have been friendlier to spin than those in the US, which led India to change their tried and tested combination.
Despite his red-hot form, Kuldeep Yadav remained benched for the first four T20 World Cup games.@exceedingxpuns explains how India can make space for him in the Super Eights.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) June 19, 2024
Read here🔽https://t.co/dA4imrHpuI pic.twitter.com/ceBMrc9Iad
They replaced Mohammed Siraj with wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, adding a spin reinforcement to their XI. Hardik Pandya, who is back to full fitness and has bowled well throughout the tournament, is expected to essay the third seamer's role. No other changes were made.
What is Kuldeep Yadav's form like?
Kuldeep has been in terrific form lately. He took 16 wickets for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024 at an economy rate of 8.65. The only T20I he played this year fetched him one wicket for 31 runs in three overs. However, since 2023, his T20I numbers read an impressive 15 wickets from 10 innings at an average of 14.33.
India's playing XI vs Afghanistan
Rohit sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
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