New Delhi: India will start their ascent towards their second T20I Trophy by taking on Afghanistan at the Super 8. Although India will enter the match as favourites, Afghanistan cannot be sidelined as mere “pushovers”.
Afghanistan have played only night games so far at the #T20WorldCup, but head coach Jonathan Trott isn't worried https://t.co/aEL3elVWrb #AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/SrGutjmfic
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 20, 2024
Afghanistan had thoroughly routed an experienced New Zealand side with big names like Kane Williamson. On the other hand, they dismantled and ripped apart World Cup debutants- Uganda. In their last game although they lost to co-hosts West Indies. Even though the Windies game was one-way traffic in favour of the co-hosts, Afghanistan has rightfully earned the title of ‘giant killers’.
Virat Kohli being Savage and Aggressive in Press Conferences.
[A THREAD] pic.twitter.com/Qvi2dQDjjW
— Priyanshu (@PriyanshuVK18K) June 19, 2024
On the other hand, Team India had the perfect start against the Irish. Subsequently, they went on to win two close matches against the USA and Pakistan. For Team India, batting has been a major concern with their talismanic top 2 openers failing to score the runs in the last two encounters.
What will the weather be like in Barbados?
The main concern for the authorities and the match officials is whether a full 40-over match is possible or not. Weather has been highly unpredictable in the Caribbean where matches have seen delayed starts and washouts. Already the match between England and Scotland has been washed out which could have gone on in the favour of the Scots.
Can #India continue their unbeaten streak against #Afghanistan in T20Is❓
Join @gilly381, @ImZaheer & @gauravkapur for all the match analysis, on #CricbuzzLive #AFGvIND #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/u8kVtJokX6
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) June 20, 2024
According to Accuweather, there is a slight probability that there can be a light shower at 9 am (local time). The match will begin around 10:30, so a light shower 1.5 hours earlier can lead to a delayed start to the game. If it rains then the main question will be whether the outfield remains playable or not.
However, the major cause of concern is there is a prediction of 51% precipitation. This drops to 15% an hour later and again increases to 49% around 1 pm. On the other hand, weather.com predicts a much more stable forecast with the probability of precipitation staying below 15 from 9 AM to 2 PM.