India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I Match Preview, Team News, Head-to-Head, Possible Lineups, and Dream XI Prediction

The Indin Cricket Team will enter the third match after sealing the India vs Afghanistan 3-match T20I series with a 2-0 lead. The Men in Blues beat the Afghans comfortably in the first and second T20I in Mohali and Holkar Stadium courtesy of Shivam Dube's two back-to-back half-centuries and Jaiswal's brilliant inning in the second match.

India will be looking to win the third game to clean sweep Afghanistan team. On the other hand, the Afghanistan team will also come strong in the third match to defend the clean sweep and win the first-ever T20 match against India.

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Match Details

• Date: 17th January, 2024

• Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

• Time: 7:00 pm (IST)

• Live Streaming: JioCinema; Live Telecast: Sports18 1 and Sports18 1 HD TV channels

India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I: Head-to-Head

• Matches played: 7

• India won: 6

• Afghanistan won: 0

• Tied: 0

• No Result: 1

Pitch & Weather Report

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium's surface is a mostly high-scoring venue across India. The batters will enjoy scoring lots of runs on these batting-friendly wickets. Batting 2nd will be a better choice after winning the important toss. In the 9 T20Is hosted at the venue, the teams chasing have had a 5-3 advantage over the teams batting first with first innings average score of 141.

It will be an evening with patchy clouds in Bengaluru on Wednesday (January 17) with max temperature expected to be 27°C at the start of the match and 22°C at the closing stages. There is no threat signs of rain on the matchday.

Team News

India

After 14 months, Virat Kohli made a return in the t20i squad and contributed with 29 off 16 balls, showcasing a new and faster approach. Shivam Dube also made a comeback after three years and smashed two explosive back-to-back match-winning fifties.

Jaiswal who was out in the first t20i due to a groin niggle, also scored a quick half-century in the last game. But, captain Rohit Sharma, who was run out for a duck in the first match also couldn't score in the second match and departed for a duck. India would like to seem him score runs in the final t20i match which might uplift his confidence in this particular format.

Kuldeep Yadav and Avesh Khan could be considered for game-time in the 3rd match, with Kuldeep replacing Ravi Bishnoi or Washington Sundar, and Avesh making himself available in the place of Mukesh Kumar.

Afghanistan

Meanwhile, Afghanistan have struggled in the series. They have lacked quality. Rashid Khan is a huge miss as he has been consistent with performances in the t20 format.

Openers like Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had two mediocre outings, will be crucial in the third match. The Chinnaswamy Stadium's smooth pitch can help Gurbaz to regain form and Afghanistan to register a confidence-boosting victory. A win will also set a positive tone for Afghanistan's upcoming fixtures against Sri Lanka and Ireland.

Squads for the T20I series

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

India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I: Probable Playing XIs

India's Probable Playing XI – Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Kishnoi, Mukesh Kumar, Washington Sundar

Afghanistan's Probable Playing XI – Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Naveen-Ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gulbadin Naib, Rahmat Shah, Karim Janat

India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I: Dream XI Team Prediction