India predicted playing XI vs Afghanistan: Hat-trick hero to remain sidelined, one key change likely as hinted by captain Rohit Sharma

Ahead of the India vs Afghanistan ODI World Cup fixture, let's take a look at what could be the playing XI for the Men in Blue. One change is likely in the Indian team.

SportsTak

• Wed • 11 Oct 2023

Rohit Sharma, Captain of India talks to Shardul Thakur of India during a nets session ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 India & Australia Net Sessions at MA Chidambaram Stadium on October 07, 2023 in Chennai, India.

Highlights:

The two teams have squared off against each other three times with India emerging victorious on two occasions.

In what promises to be a gripping affair, India and Afghanistan will cross swords at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on October 11 (Wednesday). The Men in Blue would look to continue their unbeaten record against Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup and in overall ODIs. The two teams have squared off against each other three times with India emerging victorious on two occasions and one game ending in a tie.

Ahead of the India vs Afghanistan ODI World Cup fixture, let's take a look at what could be the playing XI for the Men in Blue.

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Openers: Captain Rohit Sharma will open the innings alongside Ishan Kishan as Shubman Gill continues to be sidelined. The Hitman has been in solid form and Kishan's record as an opener is outstanding. The right-hand left-hand combination would be tasked with giving the team a solid start. Having said that, both batters were dismissed for ducks in the previous match against Australia.

Middle-order: Virat Kohli will bat at his customary No.3 position followed by Shreyas Iyer and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul at No.4 and No.5 respectively.

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are two important cogs in this Indian side that provide stability and add depth to the team. It will be a toss-up between Ravichandran Ashwin, who played the last match in Chennai, and Shardul Thakur. Captain Rohit had said after the previous match that changes will be made in the playing combination depending on the conditions. It would be interesting to see what Rohit makes of the conditions in Delhi and who gets the nod to play.

Spinner: Kuldeep Yadav has been India's best spinner in white-ball cricket in the last couple of years and bowled a fantastic spell against Australia.

Fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will be the two frontline seamers for India in the clash against Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami, who bagged a hat-trick against Afghanistan in the last World Cup, is likely to remain sidelined for the upcoming fixture.