India vs Afghanistan Match Prediction: Who will win today's 2024 T20 World Cup Super 8 match?
India will breathe a sigh of relief that the USA leg of the 2024 T20 World Cup is over. The Men in Blue had to contend with difficult conditions in New York, and while their Florida encounter was washed out, a trip to Barbados will encourage them despite the slight chance of rain.
Rohit Sharma and Co. have been handed a somewhat favorable Super 8 group, thanks to the seeding system. They are expected to get past Afghanistan and Bangladesh, with the former looming large on Thursday, June 20.
Why are India expected to beat Afghanistan? Well, the Rashid Khan-led side have plenty of talent in their ranks, but they are yet to beat the Men in Blue in an international match despite coming close on a few occasions. And India have managed to get through some tricky situations with aplomb in the 2024 T20 World Cup so far.
That said, though, Afghanistan have some serious ability. Their bowling attack is deadly, even if a few key names, including Rashid, have been off color lately. West Indian conditions will aid their bowlers, although Barbados has proven to be a decent batting surface.
So India will need to be careful as they come off a long break caused by the Canada washout. There are a few concerns in the lineup, and the inaugural T20 World Cup champions will need to be at their best on Thursday.
2024 T20 World Cup: India brace for tough test against Afghanistan
Virat Kohli has just five runs to his name in the 2024 T20 World Cup so far, and Rohit Sharma is on the back of consecutive failures. Up against Fazalhaq Farooqi, who has been one of the bowlers to watch out for in the tournament, the Indian openers need to break their indifferent runs and click as a pair.
Suryakumar Yadav played an important knock against the United States of America, while Rishabh Pant has maximized the powerplay in a couple of matches. The former will be crucial against Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad, who can seriously trouble the others in the lineup if they get their lengths right.
Afghanistan's batting, on the other hand, is rather reliant on Rahmanullah Gurbaz to get them off to a good start. Ibrahim Zadran hasn't been able to crack the T20 format yet, and while Gulbadin Naib and Mohammad Nabi have been in decent nick, they haven't inspired enough confidence to suggest that they can counter the Indian bowlers, who have been on song.
This won't be a straightforward game. Despite their loss to the West Indies, Afghanistan played an excellent brand of cricket in the group stage. Rashid and his men have what it takes to beat the best teams in the world, and there's no doubt about that.
However, India are still the clear favorites for this encounter and should be able to get over the line thanks to their bowling.
Prediction: India to win Match 43 of the 2024 T20 World Cup.