Afghanistan vs India – T20 World Cup 2024: Teams, Weather, Toss, and Kohli's Form

India approaches their Super Eight match against Afghanistan aware of the strong Afghan bowling attack and determined not to underestimate their opponents in Barbados.

Who: Afghanistan vs India
What: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight
When: Thursday, June 20, 10:30am local time (14:30 GMT)
Where: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
How: Follow Al Jazeera’s live coverage

As India and Afghanistan clash in their T20 World Cup Super Eight match at the Kensington Oval, both teams face distinct challenges.

Afghanistan's bowlers and openers have led them to three victories out of four matches in the Caribbean. However, now they face their toughest competition yet against the world's top-ranked T20 team, whose bowlers might trouble Afghanistan's middle-order batters.

Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott emphasized that his team won't be intimidated by the opponents or the occasion and will approach the game like any other. "We have still got our best game to come in us and hopefully that’s tomorrow," said Trott.

Trott acknowledged India as the favorite but noted that this adds pressure on Rohit Sharma’s squad. "We come in as perceived underdogs, but we are fully prepared and ready for the battle that confronts us tomorrow."

Will Afghanistan target Virat Kohli?

Virat Kohli walks off after being dismissed by the United States' Saurabh Nethralvakar in New York. [Adam Hunger/AP]

Regarding India’s star batter Virat Kohli, who has made only five runs in three games, Trott said his team will consider players’ overall records, not just recent form. "All Indian batters pose a threat on their day and it would be naive to think otherwise."

"But yes, if a player hasn’t been in form, you do look to exploit that," Trott added.

India will not take Afghanistan 'lightly'

Men’s T20 World Cup stadiums-venues map. [Al Jazeera]

India's head coach Rahul Dravid praised Afghanistan’s impressive performance in the tournament and highlighted that they are "a very dangerous team" in the T20 format.

"Many of their players participate in T20 leagues globally," he said in his pre-match comments. "They deserve to be in the Super Eights, and we will treat them with the same seriousness as any other team."

Dravid also indicated that India would be flexible in their tactic depending on the situation and conditions at the ground. "We have players who can adapt and float in that middle order when needed."

India is wary of Afghanistan's bowling attack, spearheaded by Fazalhaq Farooqi in pace and Rashid Khan in spin. "Their bowlers are among the most sought-after in this format globally," Dravid said.

Pitch condition and toss

The Barbados pitch has not been favorable for bowlers but has managed to keep the run-scoring under control. Only one team, Australia, has crossed the 200-run mark here. Teams winning the toss have opted to field first in all five games at this venue so far.

Weather forecast

The weather forecast is clear with no rain expected, although there will be partial cloud cover and humid conditions during the day.

Head-to-head

India has a 7-0 lead over Afghanistan in their eight T20 encounters, with one game ending in a no-result. They won their home T20 series against Afghanistan 3-0 earlier this year and their last T20 World Cup encounter in 2022 ended in a 101-run victory.

Form guide

Both teams have three wins each in the tournament so far. However, India remains unbeaten, while Afghanistan suffered a heavy defeat against hosts West Indies in their last match. Afghanistan played all their group matches in the Caribbean, while this will be India's first in the region.

Afghanistan: L W W W W
India: W W W W W

Afghanistan team news

Afghanistan is expected to field the same side that lost to the West Indies but won them three other matches.

Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan (captain), Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik.

India team news

India is unlikely to make any changes in their playing XI from their last match against the USA, despite considering playing leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.