India vs Afghanistan: Will rain play spoilsport in the first T20I at Mohali?
The anticipation builds as India and Afghanistan face off in the first T20I of a gripping three-match series in Mohali.
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FollowThe inaugural T20I of the three-game series featuring India and Afghanistan is scheduled for Thursday in Mohali. This series holds special significance as skipper Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli make a comeback to the shortest format after an absence of over a year. However, Kohli will be absent from the first game due to personal reasons. The series serves as crucial preparation for India, marking their final T20Is before the T20 World Cup in June. Players like Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah are rested for this series following an impressive performance against South Africa in the Tests.
According to Accuweather, the weather forecast predicts clear conditions throughout the day in Mohali, with temperatures ranging between 13 to 10 degrees Celsius and zero percent chances of rain. The humidity is expected to be at 55 percent, with a dew point of four degrees Celsius.
The return of Kohli and Rohit to the T20 format after 14 months will be closely monitored in this three-match series, serving as India's last series before the T20 World Cup in June. The final 15-member squad will be selected based on the performance of the core group in the IPL, which precedes the World Cup.
Rohit is set to open the batting with young Yashasvi Jaiswal against Afghanistan, as confirmed by coach Rahul Dravid. Despite the absence of star spinner Rashid Khan, recovering from a back surgery, Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran remains optimistic about his team's performance in the series.
The spotlight, however, remains firmly on Rohit, a major crowd-puller, whose presence on the field is expected to be a significant factor for the Mohali crowd, despite the prevailing cold wave.
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