On Wednesday, October 11, India will face off against Afghanistan in the ninth match of the 2023 World Cup at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. India had a great start, clinching a victory against Australia. In contrast, Afghanistan didn’t begin as hoped, suffering a defeat in their first game.
India will be playing without Shubman Gill, who’s under the weather and is currently in a Chennai hospital. This might lead to Ishan Kishan opening the innings. Although Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer didn’t put up big numbers in the last match, they’ll be eager to perform this time around. In bowling, India seemed solid with Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav making significant impacts.
How to Catch the Action:
Star Sports network will air the match live for fans in India. The broadcast begins at 12:30 PM IST, and the match starts at 2:00 PM IST. If you prefer watching online, it’ll be streamed on the Disney + Hotstar app and website.
Team Line-ups:
India’s Team: Rohit Sharma (capt), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, and Suryakumar Yadav.
Afghanistan’s Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ikram Alikhil, Abdul Rahman, Riaz Hassan, and Noor Ahmad.
After their win over Australia, India will be keen to keep the winning streak alive. The previous match had a tense moment, but Kohli and Rahul steered the team to victory. Afghanistan, looking to bounce back from their loss to Bangladesh, will surely aim to give a spirited performance. However, playing in Delhi’s warm and humid conditions might be a challenge. Fortunately, clear skies are expected, so there should be no interruptions.
Ravindra Jadeja, a seasoned player, mentioned how exciting it is to play a World Cup match in front of the home crowd and the energy boost the team gets from their fans.
Prediction
Considering the current form and team strength, India seems to be the favored team for this match. While Afghanistan has shown grit in previous encounters, India’s comprehensive victory against Australia tilts the odds in their favor for the upcoming clash.
