Three player battles to watch in AFG vs IND 1st T20I

Ibrahim Zadran aur Shreyas Iyer. (Photo Source: ACB/BCCI)

India aur Afghanistan ke beech teen matchon ki T20I series 13 September se Delhi ke Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium mein shuru hone ja rahi hai. Shreyas Iyer Indian team ki captaincy kar rahe hain, wahin dusri taraf Ibrahim Zadran Afghanistan team ki kamaan sambhalenge. Is series ka opening match aane wale matches ke liye ek jabardast mahool set karega, aur teeno venues par kadi takkar dekhne ko mil sakti hai.

India bhale hi reigning T20 World Cup champions hain, lekin shortest format mein unka haal hi ka form kuch khaas nahi raha hai. Ireland aur England ke khilaaf lagatar T20I series mein mili haar ke baad, unhone Zimbabwe ke khilaaf series jeetkar is kharab daur ko khatam kiya.

Afghanistan ne is saal ke shuruat mein hue World Cup ke baad se koi T20I cricket nahi khela hai. Halanki, unke kai players ne alag-alag franchise T20 leagues mein khelne ki wajah se lagatar T20 cricket khela hai aur unka touch barkarar hai.

Is mukable mein kai aisi player battles dekhne ko milengi jo matches ka faisla kar sakti hain. Pehle T20I ke lihaj se teen aisi khaas player battles hain jo game ka turning point sabit ho sakti hain, aur inme se har ek battle game mein ek naya excitement lekar aayegi.

### Shreyas Iyer vs Rashid Khan

India vs Afghanistan (Photo by Maynard Manyowa/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images/ Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images)

Shreyas Iyer ki spin bowling ke khilaaf khelne ki kabiliyat ka asli test Rashid Khan ke samne hoga, jo Afghanistan ke spin-heavy attack ko lead karte hain. Middle overs mein in dono ke beech ka ye mukabla dekhne layak hoga, jahan Iyer ki technique aur Rashid ka experience aamne-saamne honge. Ye mystery spinner Indian captain ko jaldi se jaldi out karne ki koshish karega, kyunki agar Iyer ek baar crease par set ho gaye toh woh behad dangerous sabit ho sakte hain.

### Jasprit Bumrah vs Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Jasprit Bumrah (Source: Photo by Ranjith Kumar/NurPhoto via Getty Images/ Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Jasprit Bumrah ka samna powerplay aur uske baad Rahmanullah Gurbaz se hoga. Gurbaz ne June 2026 mein Afghanistan ke India tour ke dauran ek ODI century lagayi thi, jisse unhone dikha diya tha ki woh bilateral series mein badi innings khelne ka dum rakhte hain. Bumrah injury se wapsi kar rahe hain, aur aise mein pehli hi ball se Gurbaz ka aggressive khel is pacer ki rhythm ko bigad sakta hai, jo abhi apni match fitness aur rhythm wapas paane ki koshish kar rahe hain.

### Fazalhaq Farooqi vs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Fazalhaq Farooqi (Photo by Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC via Getty Images/ Photo by Ranjith Kumar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Fazalhaq Farooqi Afghanistan ke bowling attack mein swing aur pace dono lekar aate hain. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, jo sirf 15 saal ke ek emerging talent hain, unhe haal hi mein short-pitched bowling se target kiya gaya hai aur unka samna ab Farooqi ke aalag-alag variations se hoga. Ye young batter is left-arm seamer ki swing aur speed ke combination ko kaise handle karta hai, ye India ke powerplay ke success ke liye sabse zyada crucial hoga.