IND vs AFG 1st T20I: King Kohli to miss T20I series opener, know why

IND vs AFG 1st T20I : As nation eagerly awaits for the much-anticipated match between India and Afghanistan with Mohali stadium all set to witness the abuzz with the anticipation of fans all lined up for the high-voltage clash, there is massive blow to team India ahead of 1st T20I series as Virat Kohli will miss the opener of the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

Stalwart batter Virat Kohli also known as King Kohli and widely regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world, particularly in limited-lovers cricket, to miss Mohali match due to personal reasons. 

The news has been confirmed by the head coach Rahul Dravid in the pre-match press conference and Dravid stated that that Yashasvi Jaiswal will open for India with captain Rohit Sharma. Alongside India's batting stalwart, Rohit also made a return to the squad and will lead the side in the opening match in Mohali.

India's head coach revealed that while India would only play one T20I series before the T20 World Cup in 2024, the success of players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will factor into the team selection for the tournament.

Why Ishan Kishan & Shreyas Iyer not selected for IND vs AFG match? 

Dravid went up to clarify why Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were not selected for the T20 International series against Afghanistan. The head coach stated that Kishan had sought a vacation owing to mental tiredness during the South Africa tour, and the team management agreed to accommodate him. Dravid acknowledged that Kishan has not made himself available for selection since then and would return to domestic cricket when he is ready.

During pre-match press conference, Dravid said, "No, absolutely not (disciplinary issue). Ishan Kishan was not available for selection. Ishan requested a break, which we agreed on in South Africa. We supported it. He has not yet made himself available. I don't think he has made himself available as yet. When he is available, he will play domestic cricket and make himself available for selection.”

IND vs AFG 1st T20I: Squads 

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar. 

Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Ikram Alikhil (wicket-keeper), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib

The T20I series between India and Afghanistan will kick off on January 11 in Mohali; the second game will be played on January 14 in Indore; and the series will conclude on January 17 in Bengaluru.

-

Join Whatsapp Channel