Mohali, January 11, 2024 — The stage is set for an exhilarating encounter as India gears up to face Afghanistan in the first match of the T20 International series at PCA IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday. Here’s what you need to know about this thrilling cricket showdown.
Key Match Details
The much-anticipated IND vs AFG 1st T20 match is scheduled to commence at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT) at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium. Cricket enthusiasts can catch the action-packed clash live at the venue or tune in through various broadcasting platforms.
Team News
Indian cricket fans will miss the presence of Virat Kohli, who is sitting out this match due to personal reasons. Rahul Dravid, India’s head coach, confirmed this development in a press conference. The responsibility to open the innings will fall on the capable shoulders of Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, Suryakumar Yadav is sidelined due to an ankle injury.
Afghanistan, fresh from an impressive World Cup campaign, aims for their first-ever victory against India in the T20 International series. Unfortunately, their star leg-spinner Rashid Khan is ruled out due to ongoing recovery from a lower-back surgery.
Probable Playing XIs
India:
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shubman Gill
- Tilak Varma
- Jitesh Sharma/Sanju Samson (wk)
- Rinku Singh
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Avesh Khan
- Arshdeep Singh
- Mukesh Kumar
Afghanistan:
- Hazratullah Zazai
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Ibrahim Zadran (C)
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Najibullah Zadran
- Mohammad Nabi
- Gulbadin Naib/Karim Janat
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Qais Ahmed
- Naveen-ul-Haq
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
Weather Conditions
As for the weather, Mohali is expected to be hazy with a zero percent chance of rain and thunderstorms in the next 24 hours. The temperature will range between 20 degrees to 3 degrees Celsius. Winds are anticipated at speeds of around 9 km/hr during the day and 13 km/h at night, with a possibility of gusts up to 24 km/h.
How to Watch
Cricket enthusiasts can catch the live telecast of India vs Afghanistan 1st T20 on Sports 18 HD/SD. The JioCinema app will provide a live stream of the series. Viacom18 has excitingly announced exclusive coverage on JioCinema, Sports18-1 SD + HD, and Colors Cineplex in multiple languages.
Series Schedule
In this three-match T20 series, teams will battle it out on the following dates and venues:
- 1st T20I – January 11, 2024, Mahali
- 2nd T20I – January 14, 2024, Indore
- 3rd T20I – January 17, 2024, Bengaluru
Both India and Afghanistan have named their squads for the series, setting the stage for an enthralling cricketing spectacle. Stay tuned for updates and witness the cricketing action unfold in this IND vs AFG T20 series!
