'Don't let them bat first' - Kris Srikkanth's suggestion to India before Super Eight encounter against Afghanistan

Kris Srikkanth warned India about Afghanistan's bowling prowess ahead of the highly-anticipated Super Eight clash between the two Asian sides on Thursday, June 20, at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.

Afghanistan registered wins against Uganda, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea before suffering a defeat against the West Indies in the first phase of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Meanwhile, India beat Ireland, Pakistan, and the USA, before their last game against Canada was abandoned due to a wet outfield.

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India and Afghanistan are placed in Group 1 in the Super Eight phase of the tournament alongside Australia and Bangladesh. Only two teams from this group will progress to the semifinals and therefore, every game is going to be crucial. The 1983 ODI World Cup winner, Srikkanth, said that Indian captain Rohit Sharma should not give Afghanistan the chance to bat first as the Blue Tigers have a "terrific" bowling unit, which can make chasing totals difficult.

“You can’t take things lightly against Afghanistan. They have a good team and a terrific bowling side. So, I was the Indian captain, if I was Rohit Sharma, I would like to bat first. Don’t let Afghanistan bat first because if that happens they will score around 160-170 and their bowlers are good enough to maybe defend the total. While Afghanistan’s bowling is very strong, their batting is very weak,” Srikkanth told Star Sports.

Afghanistan conceded 218 rusn for five wickets in their inconsequential encounter against the West Indies but they bowled Uganda, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea for just 58, 75, and 95, respectively.

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Left-arm speedster Fazalhaq Farooqi is in phenomenal form, having taken 12 wickets from four games at an economy rate of 6.66. He also bagged a five-wicket haul against Uganda, followed by a four-fer against the Kiwis. Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq have also bowled well and taken six and five wickets respectively. Mohammad Nabi can also play a key role against the Indian batting lineup, which comprises left-handers. Meanwhile, young Noor Ahmad has only taken a solitary wicket from the three games so far but he has been very economical, conceding runs at an economy rate of under 4.89.