3 things Afghanistan need to do right to beat India in Super 8 of 2024 T20 World Cup
Afghanistan will face a stern test against India in their first Super Eight game of the 2024 T20 World Cup on Thursday, June 20. The Kensington Oval in Barbados will host this clash.
The Rashid Khan-led side are coming into this game with three victories and a loss in the group stages. In their last outing, Afghanistan faced a humbling 104-run defeat against the West Indies. The bowling unit went on to concede 218 and the batting unit crumbled under pressure to get all-out for 114.
Ahead of this game, there will be some concerns for Afghanistan as they face a formidable outfit like India. Let's take a look at three areas where they can improve to give a strong performance in this crucial game.
#1 Consistency from openers
In their first game against Uganda, Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran stitched a 154-run stand, which helped the team to win by 125 runs. The next game against New Zealand saw the duo constructing a 103-run stand, again, resulting in a 84-run victory.
However, their partnerships in the last two games read eight & zero against Papua New Guinea and West Indies, respectively. Although Afghanistan chased down a paltry target of 96 against PNG, the team needed a strong push from the openers in a tough chase of 219 against the Caribbean team.
However, the openers' failure resulted in them losing by over 100 runs. So, the starts from Gurbaz and Zadran will be vital for the team's results.
#2 Stick to the same batting order
It is crucial for any team to have a set plan and strategy to win games in a mega event like T20 World Cup. The continuous chopping and changing haven't helped many teams have a deeper run in any format of the game.
From the onset of the tournament, Afghanistan haven't stuck to the same batting order. In the first two games, Gulbadin Naib batted in the lower middle order, while coming in at No. 3 in the last two games.
Moreover, players like Najibullah Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai have failed to make an impact so far with no clear mindset. In the first game, Omarzai batted at No. 6, but was promoted up the order to No. 3 and No. 4 in the next couple of fixtures, where he couldn't impress.
A well-established batter like Najibullah also hasn't performed well in two games, while not getting enough opportunities in the other two fixtures. Moreover, the team hasn't provided clarity on Karim Janat's role as a batter.
Hence, Afghanistan must come out with a clear mindset and game plan against India.
#3 Leadership from experienced all-rounders
Afghanistan's most important players, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib have an opportunity to take the team to their first-ever ICC semi-finals. However, they haven't looked consistent and need to come in clutch against India.
After taking six wickets in the first two games, Rashid has gone wicketless in the last two. He received a hammering of 45 runs off his four-over spell against West Indies.
Meanwhile, Nabi's strike rate so far is just 70.45, which is disappointing, to say the least. He has also scalped only two wickets in seven overs.
Although Naib scored 49* off 36 balls against PNG, he has accumulated only 60 runs and needs to be at his best against the Indian team. He did well in the last game by picking up two wickets but needs to bowl more often to secure breakthroughs for the side.