A half-century by Shivam Dube and a cameo by Jitesh Sharma helped India secure a six-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first T20I of the three-match series at Mohali on Thursday.
This is the first-ever bilateral series between these two sides in any format. Virat Kohli will not play the match due to personal reasons, while skipper Rohit has returned to T20Is after more than a year. Star Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan is also not playing the series.
Former South Africa batter and captain AB de Villiers has backed experienced India batters playing in the ICC T20 World Cup and said bringing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back for the T20Is after over a year is a "smart move"
Kohli and Rohit will make their first T20I appearance since featuring against England in the T20 World Cup in 2022. With the World Cup 2024 just a few months away, India will be keen to have the quality of both batters in the team.
Former South Africa star batter AB de Villiers backed India's decision to include Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the T20I squad for the Afghanistan series.
Australia's thumping series win over Pakistan in Sydney and India's sensational bowling spell against South Africa enforced a major shift in the ICC Men's Test rankings.
The second Test saw India clinch an eight-wicket victory in the shortest red-ball cricket game. The International Cricket Council (ICC) deemed the pitch "unsatisfactory."
Star opener Rohit Sharma and batter Virat Kohli returned to India's T20I squad against Afghanistan as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday revealed a 16-player roster for a three-match T20I series, starting on January 11. The senior duo made a comeback to India's T20I s