Predicting Afghanistan’s Playing XI for their 3rd T20I against India

Afghanistan faced a heavy defeat in Indore as they lost the second T20I of the series. With this loss, they have also conceded an unassailable lead to the Men in Blue who will be looking to sweep the series in Bengaluru. In this article, we will take a look at the probable starting lineup for Afghanistan in the 3rd and final T20I of the series. 

Top Order

In the last match, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran opened the innings for Afghanistan and the pair will most likely be seen opening the innings in the 3rd T20I as well. However, they must step up in the next match if they want to end the series on a positive note. 

In the second T20I Gulbadin Naib was the highest run scorer for Afghanistan. With the half-century in Indore, Naib has cemented his presence at No.3 in the next match.

Middle Order

The all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai will be playing for Afghanistan in the middle order. Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran will be the other crucial players in that batting order with Karim Janat assisting them in the later phase of the innings. Janat played an impactful cameo in the 2nd T20I which guided Afghanistan to a challenging total. A lot will depend on these names in the middle order as the Indian bowling attack will once again come hard at them. 

Bowling Unit

The Afghanistan bowlers could not find much success in the last match as they were hammered by Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Now these bowlers have an opportunity to make a strong comeback in the third T20I in Bengaluru. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq will be the frontline pacers for Afghanistan. Karim Janat will also be showing off his fast-bowling skills as he picked up a couple of wickets in the second T20I. 

Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Noor Ahmad will test the opposition batters with their spin bowling however it will be a daunting task for them to bowl economically in Bengaluru.