ODI World Cup 2023: India's strongest predicted playing XI against Afghanistan

India (IND) are set to continue their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign as they gear up to take on Afghanistan (AFG) in the 9th game of the tournament. Both sides will be taking centre stage at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, October 11. 

Afghanistan (AFG) will be coming into the game on the back of a defeat in their first game. On the other hand, India will be riding high on confidence as the side came away with a resounding victory against the mighty Australia. As the game against Afghanistan approaches, it could be interesting to see what lineup India could field in their second World Cup game. 

Here's India’s Predicted XI Against Afghanistan:

Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan

Team India will be once again without Shubman Gill, who is currently down with dengue fever. Meanwhile, skipper Rohit Sharma failed to get off the mark in the World Cup as he was dismissed for zero runs after playing six deliveries against Australia. As the clash against Afghanistan approaches, the skipper will look to get some important runs on the board. 

The story was similar for Ishan Kishan as he was sent packing for a duck in the last game. However, the batter will be included in the lineup as Gill remains unavailable. Kishan will look to put some much-needed runs on the board.

Also Check: Most Runs in ODI World Cup 2023

Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk)

Ace batter Virat Kohli was one of the best performers for team India in their previous assignment. Chasing a target of 200 runs after the collapse of the top-order, Kohli played a masterful knock of 85 runs in 116 deliveries and helped his side win.

Shreyas Iyer was yet another player who disappointed with his performance in the ODI World Cup 2023. Iyer failed to get off the mark against Australia as India lost three wickets in quick succession. Meanwhile,  KL Rahul will once again be the wicketkeeper for India against Afghanistan.

Alongside Kohli, Rahul was one of the best batters for India in the tournament opener, scoring an unbeaten 97 runs in 115 balls. India will once again depend on his services against Afghanistan.

Also Check: List of Virat Kohli international & IPL centuries

All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur

Ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will make up one half of the Indian all-rounders that could take the field against Afghanistan. Jadeja did not get to bat against Australia; however, he was sensational with the ball, taking three wickets for just 28 runs in 10 overs. It was Jadeja’s spell that turned the tide in India’s favour in the first innings. 

Star player Hardik Pandya bowled three overs in the previous game and took one wicket and conceded 28 runs. Furthermore, the 29-year-old scored unbeaten 11 runs in eight deliveries after Kohli's dismissal. He will be keen on further improving his performance and providing even more stability to India’s middle-order. 

One change that India could look to make could be the including Shardul Thakur in place of Ravichandran Ashwin as spinners were ineffective in the last game in Delhi, with South Africa scoring the highest total in World Cup history.

Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav

Another change that India could make could be to bring in Mohammed Shami in place of Mohammed Siraj. India’s clash against Chennai was surely a tiring one, and rotation could be a key part of the hosts’ campaign. Shami has been a certified performer for the side for many years now and showed brilliant form against Australia in the series before the World Cup. 

Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah will once again take centre stage against Afghanistan. The 29-year-old bowled 10 overs against Australia and got two wickets for only 35 runs. He will look to keep up his performance in the next game as well.

Star spinner Kuldeep Yadav will once again look to impress with his showings. Being one of the most in-form players in the side, Kuldeep showcased just why he is one the best in the business as he took two wickets and conceded 42 runs in 10 overs against Australia. The team will expect a similar showing from him in Delhi. 

Also Check: Most Wickets in ODI World Cup 2023

India’s predicted XI:

Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav