Afghanistan vs India Preview & Prediction | 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup | Group Stage
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After their heavy defeat at the hands of West Indies, Afghanistan will need to pick themselves up quickly, with the small matter of Rohit Sharma’s India up next in Bridgetown.
DATE & TIME: Thursday 20th June, 2024: USA (WST) – 7:30am / USA (CST) - 9:30am / USA (EST) - 10:30am / UK – 3:30pm / India - 8:00pm / South Africa – 4:30pm / Pakistan– 7:30pm / Bangladesh – 8:30pm / Friday 21st June, 2024: Australia – 12:30am
VENUE: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados, West Indies
WEATHER: Hot conditions with a bit of cloud, but sunny intervals and a gentle breeze as temperatures sit at around 30c.
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: USA – Willow TV / West Indies – ESPN Caribbean / UK – Sky Sports / South Africa – SuperSport / Pakistan– PTV Sports & TEN Sports / India – Star Sports / Bangladesh – Disney Star
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: USA – Willow TV website / West Indies – ESPN Play Caribbean app / UK – Sky Go / South Africa – SuperSport app / Pakistan – Myco & Tamasha / India – Disney+Hotstar / Bangladesh – Disney+Hotstar / Australia – Amazon Prime Video
AFGHANISTAN FORM: FOUR-MATCH WINNING STREAK ENDED IN DISASTEROUS FASHION
What was so damaging for Afghanistan wasn’t just their loss against West Indies, it was the manner of their defeat, going down by a whopping 104 runs which leaves them right up against it now in the ‘Super 8s’ with only three games left including this one and a clash with Australia in three days.
LAST FIVE: LWWWW
INDIA FORM: TOURNAMENT HEAVYWEIGHTS REMAIN FIRMLY ON TRACK
Although India’s T20i winning streak and 100% record across this tournament was ended by a washout against Canada, they remain as formidable an opposition as one can face and head into this match as overwhelming favourites to come out on top.
LAST FIVE: AWWWW
AFGHANISTAN BETTING ANALYSIS
If Afghanistan are to cause a shock here, they will likely need their ace batter to maintain his fabulous form. Rahmanullah Gurbaz currently leads the run-scoring charts across the entire competition so far, having racked up 167 runs in four innings, including two half-centuries with a high score of 80 and average of 41.75. Such form warrants investment, so back Gurbaz not only to score over 16.5 match runs, but also to finish as Afghanistan’s highest run-scorer.
Not only do Afghanistan have the highest scoring batter in the tournament so far, they also boast the most potent bowler. Fazalhaq Farooqi has racked up 12 wickets already, a testament to the quality of his left-arm pace and he serves as a huge test for the Indian top order. Averaging three wickets per game so far, back Farooqi to gain 2+ wickets in this one.
INDIA BETTING ANALYSIS
The big frustration for the India batters is that having played all their completed fixtures so far in the bowling minefield that was New York, they’ve had little opportunity to score big runs. That should change here at the Kensington Oval, especially in the case of Virat Kohli. As the tournament reaches the business end, expect Kohli to turn on the style and back him to accumulate over 30+ runs. Those bettors looking for a higher return can back Kohli to reach a half-century.
Jasprit Bumrah, India’s fast bowling point of difference can change any game in an instant regardless of whether India are defending a target or trying to restrict their opponents in the first innings. A stake on Bumrah finishing this match as India’s top bowler represents a shrewd bet in any fixture involving Rohit Sharma’s side.
AFGHANISTAN VS INDIA EXPERT PREDICTION
Expect a significantly improvement showing from Afghanistan compared to what we saw from them against West Indies. But that’s still not likely to prove enough against this Indian juggernaut. Whilst Afghanistan boasts a few players at a world class level, India contains a whole team of them and can rely on different names to step up when required.
One such player is Kohli, who is well overdue a big score at this ICC T20 World Cup. The washout against Canada denied him in the group stage, but on this occasion, Kohli may finally come to life. Back him to get back in the runs and in some style.
AFGHANISTAN VS INDIA TOP TIP: VIRAT KOHLI TO SCORE OVER 27.5 MATCH RUNS
