IND vs AFG T20I Stats & Records at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

A clinical bowling display followed by Shivam Dube's unbeaten knock of 63(32) helped India (IND) win the second T20I of the ongoing series against Afghanistan (AFG) at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Diving deeper into the second game, India bowled first, which allowed Ravi Bishnoi to strike early, breaking the opening partnership. Gulbadin Naib, then top-scored for the Afghans with 57 runs off just 35 deliveries, while Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat made 23 and 20 runs, respectively.

For India, Arshdeep Singh picked three wickets in his four-over spell, while giving runs at an economy of 8.00, while spin duo of Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi shared four wickets between them equally. Combined bowling efforts from the Men in Blue restricted the Ibrahim Zadran-led side to 172 in 20 overs. In response, Indians chased the target comfortably, courtesy of Yashasvi Jaiswal's 68(34); Virat Kohli's 29(16); and Dube's blistering knock. For bowling economically, Patel was declared as the Player of the Match.

The action now moves to the city of gardens for the third and final match between the Asian giants for a power packed cricketing action at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Wednesday, January 17. India have played seven T20 Internationals at Bangalore, registering three wins, three losses, and one no-result. Afghanistan will be playing their first T20I at the venue. While India aim for a clean sweep in the final T20I, the visiting team has their sights set on not just avoiding the whitewash, but also achieving their first-ever T20I victory against India.

IND vs AFG Head-to-Head Record:

In their seven T20I encounters, India have outrightly dominated the Afghans, winning six matches with one ending in a no-result. Notably, Afghanistan are yet to register a victory against India in this format.

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium T20I Pitch Report 

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is a paradise for batters in limited-overs cricket, especially in the T20 format. High scores are a thing, with both chasing and setting totals exceeding 200 being a regular occurrence. The stadium's short boundaries and lightning-fast surface tilt the scales towards the batters, allowing pace bowlers to exploit swing and bounce. But even in this batting heaven, spinners can occasionally weave their magic and find success.

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium T20I Stats & Records:

In as many as nine games played at the venue, the pacers have picked 57 wickets at an average of 26.17 while spinners have picked up 38 wickets at an average of 23.92. The teams batting first have won 3 games while, chasing teams have won five, with one no result. The average first-innings score at this venue is 141.

X-factors for India vs Afghanistan:

India: Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube has been on fire in the ongoing series against Afghanistan, smashing two consecutive half-centuries, totalling 123 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 170.83. Beyond his explosive batting, he's also contributed with economical bowling spells, picking up a couple of wickets. India will be hoping Dube can continue this stellar form and help them whitewash Afghanistan in Bengaluru.

Afghanistan: Gulbadin Naib

For Afghanistan, Gulbadin Naib will be a key player in the upcoming T20I against India. Fresh off his blistering half-century in the previous game, his knock of 57 off 35, studded with five fours and four sixes, came at a strike rate of 162.86. Afghanistan will be hoping he can replicate his form and help them secure their first T20I victory against India.

IND vs AFG Probable Playing XI  

India:

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar

Afghanistan:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman