Rakesh Thapliyal 

New Delhi: The big question among the cricket lovers is, will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi get a chance in the Indian XI  on Tuesday? Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is eagerly waiting to show his hard hitting skill and ability. The 15-year-old was a standout performer in India’s last T20I series – a 3-0 sweep against Zimbabwe. He got ‘Player of the match’ award in the last match he played and also won ‘Player of the Series’ award.

The left-hander became the youngest player to score a fifty in men’s T20 internationals when he reached the milestone in 18 balls in the series opener. He followed it up with 81 off 49 balls in the third T20I.

India will look to clinch the three-match T20I series when they take on Afghanistan in the second game, with the hosts carrying the confidence of a dominant 7 wicket victory in the opening match on Sunday.

The contest at Arun Jaitley Stadium is expected to provide another intriguing battle between India’s powerful batting line-up and Afghanistan’s dangerous spin attack.

Wicketkeeper-opening batter Sanju Samson returns to the team after missing India’s tour of Zimbabwe in July, failed to contribute in the first match of the three match series, scored 10 runs in 8 balls. He may get another chance today.

On Sunday, India won the first T20I after a commanding all-round performance. Abhishek Sharma scored (82 off 32 ) was the standout performer. Ishan Kishan (42) provided strong support. Arshdeep Singh took 3 wickets and was excellent with the new ball.

Afghanistan’s batting struggled in the Powerplay, but a fighting unbeaten 64 from Azmatullah Omarzai helped them post a respectable total. India, however, made light work of the chase, with opener Abhishek Sharma producing a blistering 82 off just 32 balls.

Rashid Khan and his fellow spinners will be keen to put pressure on the Indian middle order, while Afghanistan’s top order will have to find a way to counter India’s formidable pace attack.

For India, the return of Jasprit Bumrah adds considerable strength to an already impressive bowling unit. Arshdeep Singh was among the wickets in the opening game, and the Indian attack will again look to strike early and prevent Afghanistan from building momentum.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, need a much-improved start with the bat. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and the rest of the top order will be under pressure to give their middle order a solid foundation. Omarzai’s form will also be a major positive for the visitors after his fighting performance in the first match.

Squads

Afghanistan : Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Noor Rahman, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Naveen-ul-Haq

India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur.