2023 World Cup: Predicting 3 players who could score the most runs in today’s India vs Afghanistan match ft. Rohit Sharma
After thrashing Australia by six wickets, Team India will square off against Afghanistan in their second 2023 World Cup match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.
The Men in Blue were in a spot of bother at one stage against the Aussies, reeling at 2/3 while chasing 200 runs. However, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli added 165 runs for the fourth wicket to help the hosts start their campaign with a win. While Kohli got out after a well-made 85, Rahul remained unbeaten on 97 to see the team through.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, went down in their first match against Bangladesh. They got off to a good start but a middle-order collapse saw the Afghans post only 156 runs. Bangladesh didn't lose too much to sweat to chase down the total, doing it in just 34.4 overs and with six wickets in hand.
While India will hope to continue their winning run, the Afghans will be desperate to bounce back and cause an upset early in the World Cup.
The first game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium witnessed over 750 runs being scored. While South Africa smashed 428 after batting first, Sri Lanka scored 326 before being bowled out. A similar high-scoring game is expected on Wednesday when the two Asian sides go up against each other.
On that note, let's take a look at three batters who could score the most runs in today's India vs Afghanistan match.
#1 Rohit Sharma
The Indian skipper had a dismal outing against Australia, getting out for a six-ball duck. Josh Hazlewood pitched one in a good length that jagged back in to crash Rohit Sharma's pads, and he was adjudged out by the umpire.
Rohit will be desperate to return to form and the Afghanisthan game would be a perfect platform for him to bounce back. The ace batter will also look to spend some time in the middle before Team India go up against the big teams.
The right-handed batter has played only two ODIs at the venue, scoring 71 runs, including a half-century. However, Rohit has enjoyed a decent run of form this year, scoring four fifties in his last six ODI innings.
#2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz
The Afghan wicketkeeper has been one of their best batter in limited-overs cricket for quite some time now. His aggressive intent has allowed the team to get off to a flying start on multiple occasions.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has amassed 423 runs in 12 matches at an average of 35.25, including two centuries. He also looked impressive for his 47 in the first game against Bangladesh.
Gurbaz will look to continue his excellent form against India and make a mark against the hosts' potent bowling unit.
#3 Virat Kohli
The former Indian skipper once again proved on Sunday why he is arguably the best batter of the current generation. Virat Kohli's ability to stand up during clutch situations makes him a generational talent.
With the Men in Blue reeling at 2/3 while chasing 200 runs, Kohli joined forces with KL Rahul to pull the team out of danger. He batted 116 deliveries for his 85, hitting six boundaries in the process.
Kohli has been in exemplary form this year and will hope to make it count against Afghanistan on Wednesday. It will also be his homecoming and playing in front of a stand named after him will be a real motivation for the legendary right-handed batter.