(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] India will face Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday. This will be the second match for both teams in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. India is coming off a win against Australia, while Afghanistan will take the field after a defeat to Bangladesh.
Afghanistan boast renowned spinners in the cricketing world, and it will be interesting to see how Indian batters handle the spin duo of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Afghanistan also has some impressive pacers like Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq.
The Delhi audience is expected to cheer loudly for their local hero, Kohli. The crowd will be electrified when Afghanistan’s pacer Naveen faces off against Kohli in the field.
To provide context, Kohli and Naveen had a verbal altercation during an IPL 2023 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Supergiants. This will be the first time they face each other after that incident while representing their respective countries.
Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa during his pre-match analysis of the India-Afghanistan clash highlighted some intriguing battles to watch out for.
“Mujeeb Ur Rahman against Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan will be one. Fazalhaq Farooqi against India’s top-order. Naveen-ul-Haq vs Virat Kohli will be an interesting matchup. They have had a history, but it’s good to see them going head-to-head against each other. I would like to see Rashid Khan vs KL Rahul as well,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
Uthappa also extended his warm wishes to Shubman Gill, who is currently recovering from dengue and is yet to make his World Cup debut.
“We are hoping he recovers quickly and returns to the team. However, it isn’t easy to make a comeback after suffering from dengue. I have gone through it myself, and it does get a bit difficult physically. We are hoping that it hasn’t affected his body a lot. When you recover from dengue, you experience some pain in your bones,” the 37-year-old added.