Leading 1-0 in their three-match series, Team India will be looking to bag a series-clinching victory in the second T20I against Australia, at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday. The hosts won the first T20I in Mohali by sealing a six-wicket victory on Thursday.
Chasing 159 runs, India reached 159/4 in 17.3 overs, courtesy of a match-winning unbeaten knock of 60* off 40 balls by Shivam Dube. Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma (31) and Tilak Varma (26) also registered crucial knocks. Meanwhile, Mujeeb Ur Rahman scalped two dismissals for Afghanistan.
Initially, a knock of 42 runs off 27 balls by Mohammad Nabi saw the Afghans post 158/5 in 20 overs, setting a target of 159. For India’s bowling department, Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar took two wickets each. This is also India’s last series in the T20 format, before this year’s T20 World Cup. So the hosts will be looking to put in a good display, and we could also see some key changes.
Rohit Sharma will be expected to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who missed the previous game due to an injury. He will replace Shubman Gill, whose mistake saw Rohit depart for a two-ball duck. In 15 T20Is, Jaiswal has registered 430 runs, with a century and three fifties.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, who missed the first T20I due to personal reasons, will be back into the playing XI and replace Tilak Varma. Kohli will slot in at his usual no. 3 position, and will be followed by Dube at no. 4, who also received Player of the Match in the previous fixture. Dube’s all-round skills will once again be crucial, and he also took a wicket in the previous fixture.
Jitesh Sharma will don the wicketkeeper role and will fill in at no. 5, and Rinku Singh will be at no. 6. The KKR star will be his side’s finisher and did that role in the previous match, where he registered an unbeaten knock of 16 runs off nine balls.
Axar Patel and Washington Sundar will be the all-rounders at no.7 and no. 8. The pair will also share spin duties. Ravi Bishnoi will be the other spinner, and will fill in the tailenders with pacers Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar.
India’s predicted XI vs Afghanistan in second T20I:
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal/Shubman Gill
Middle and top-order: Virat Kohli, Jitesh Sharma (wk)
Power-hitter: Rinku Singh
All-rounders: Shivam Dube, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar
Spinner: Ravi Bishnoi
Pacers: Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar.