Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott expressed confidence in his team’s performance in day games and is optimistic about their chances against India in their opening Super 8 fixture on Thursday.
The match starts at 7 p.m. Kabul time.
Afghanistan enters the Super 8 stage with high morale, having won three of their four league games, including a victory over New Zealand. Their only loss came against the West Indies earlier this week.
“Day games actually suit us better. So, I’m quite excited to play India in a day game. Obviously, they are one of the favorites, and that adds pressure for India,” said Trott, a former England Test batter.
Trott dismissed the notion of Afghanistan being underdogs. “Hopefully, we can come in perceived as underdogs but in my mind, we are very much not underdogs. We are fully prepared and ready for the battle that confronts us tomorrow, which I’m very excited about,” he said on Wednesday.
Afghanistan, who nearly secured a semi-final berth in the ODI World Cup in India last year, are a formidable force in the shortest format. Their prowess in T20 cricket is well-recognized, with many of their players featuring in leagues worldwide, including the IPL.
“It’s a compliment, but also earned. We’ve got a lot of players playing T20 cricket around the world. Now, it’s about putting that together as a side. In the past, we’ve had good individual players, but now we need all those players performing together as a team,” Trott added.
Traditionally known for their spinners, Afghanistan’s standout performer in this tournament has been left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, who currently leads the wicket-taking charts.
“When you’ve got spinners with T20 experience like we have, it’s obviously one of our strengths. But one of our seamers is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. Over the last couple of years, we’ve developed a more rounded side. If it swings and seams, we can take wickets; if it spins, we can take wickets as well,” Trott explained.
Reflecting on their thrilling double Super Over match against India in Bengaluru earlier this year, Trott remarked, “What I take away from the match is that we should have won it in that super over. It shows how the gap is closing regarding our side and the ability of our players to chase in T20 cricket. That was a fantastic chase in Bangalore, and unfortunately, we didn’t win. To have a second Super Over, I’m not sure that’s ever happened before.”
Afghanistan’s encounter with India promises to be a captivating contest, with both teams eager to assert their dominance in the T20 World Cup.
Squads:
Afghanistan squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan(c), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Mohammad Ishaq, Nangeyalia Kharote, Hazratullah Zazai
India squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal
