New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president and MP Rajiv Shukla has expressed confidence that the Indian men’s team will win the third T20I too and complete a clean sweep.
India will take on Afghanistan in the third and final match of the T20I series after winning the first two matches played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
“The series is going very well. We have already won the series, and we will win the third match as well,” Rajiv Shukla told IANS on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi on Wednesday.
With the series already secured, India will look to use the third and final T20I against Afghanistan as an opportunity to fine-tune their squad ahead of the Asian Games, with the Arun Jaitley Stadium set to host the contest on Thursday.
The match comes after India produced virtually identical seven-wicket victories in the opening two games. They successfully chased targets of 157 and 160, respectively, leaving Afghanistan with little to show despite moments of individual brilliance.
The second T20I followed a familiar pattern. Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a second straight duck before Ibrahim Zadran’s 37 provided Afghanistan with some stability. Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan then added 48 for the sixth wicket, helping their side reach 159/8. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Arshdeep Singh claimed five wickets between them.
India’s response was largely comfortable, with Sanju Samson’s 57, Abhishek Sharma’s 39 and Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 38 guiding the hosts home.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) hosted the Indian cricket team for a dinner at which the Indian players talked about their experience of playing Afghanistan, as well as their familiarity with their players.
“It is always enjoyable playing against them because many of us have also played with them in the IPL, and we know what wonderful human beings they are. There is always something to learn from them. In particular, I played with Nabi Bhai at the Mumbai Indians, and he helped me a lot during batting sessions. He would often share insights about planning and strategy, especially when facing different bowlers. One of the most impressive qualities about the Afghanistan team is their hunger and determination. Whenever we play against them, you can see how eager they are to take wickets and compete at the highest level,” said Ishan Kishan during the event.
Indian opener Abhishek Sharma said playing against Afghanistan is a good experience for young players as they play an aggressive brand of cricket.
–IANS
bsk/
