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In the opening Super 8 match of Group 1 at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, the Rohit Sharma-led India faced off against Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday, June 20.
India put on a commanding display, clinching a comprehensive 47-run victory. Suryakumar Yadav (53) and Hardik Pandya (32) starred with the bat, guiding India to a total of 181/8. In defense of the total, Jasprit Bumrah (3 wickets), Arshdeep Singh (3), Kuldeep Yadav (2), Axar Patel (1), and Ravindra Jadeja (1) combined effectively to bowl out Afghanistan for 134 runs.
Reflecting on the match, Rohit Sharma emphasized the team’s extensive experience playing in the Caribbean over recent years, which he credited for their well-prepared performance.
“The last two years, we have come here and played some T20 games. We planned a little well. We adapted well to the conditions that were offered. We knew the class of our bowling lineup would defend this.”
Rohit Sharma praised his teammates, commending their excellent contributions, and singled out Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya for special recognition. He remarked:
“Everyone coming in and doing their job. That is something we keep talking about. Surya and Hardik’s partnership was a good one in the end.”
Discussing Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian captain emphasized the importance of utilizing the pacer strategically due to his game-changing abilities. Rohit Sharma remarked:
“We know what Bumrah can do for us. It is important for us to use him smartly. He is the one who is ready to take the responsibility aWhereverhereever he plays, he is always ready to take the responsibility. I got to assess the conditions. Looking at the opposition we are ready to make any changes. We thought three spinners would be good, we went for that. Going forward if needed, I am open to playing three seamers.”
In their cricketing history, India has consistently dominated Afghanistan across all formats, a trend that continued in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 clash. Before this match, the two teams had met 13 times across formats, with India emerging victorious in every encounter.
Specifically in T20Is, India and Afghanistan have faced off eight times since their first meeting at the 2010 T20 World Cup in Grost Islet. Out of these matches, India has won 7 games, including a recent victory in a dramatic double Super Over in January 2024, while one match ended in a washout. This particular washout occurred during the final of the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, where India secured a gold medal due to their higher seeding.
In ODIs, Afghanistan has played India four times without a single victory, and in Test cricket, they have met once, resulting in a resounding innings defeat of 262 runs for Afghanistan at India’s hands.
Following the latest T20 World Cup encounter, India’s dominance in T20Is stands at India 8 – Afghanistan 0, and across all international formats, it stands at India 14 – Afghanistan 0.
