AFG vs IND first T20I | Ahead of Asian Games, full-strength India aims to flex muscle

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India's captain Shreyas Iyer, left, and Afghanistan's captain Ibrahim Zadran during the unveiling of the Friendship Cup trophy ahead of the first T20I cricket match of a series, in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: PTI

In a year when India and Afghanistan have locked horns in a one-off Test and three ODIs, there is a feeling of familiarity as the Asian sides meet again for a T20I series. This will be uncharted territory, however, given the quirk of Afghanistan being the official host for a three-game assignment in the heart of India’s capital city.

The Afghans have played ‘home’ ties in India previously, but never against the Men in Blue. The timing of the series — India’s international home season usually begins in the month of October — is another peculiarity.

Once the action gets underway beneath the twilight sky at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, India will hope for no more deviations from convention as Shreyas Iyer & Co. look to enter the Asian Games in Japan in red-hot form. India, which won the T20 World Cup in March for a second successive title, starts the series as the clear favourite. But it will not want to run the risk of resting on its laurels, especially after a shock series defeat to Ireland in June in Shreyas’ first assignment as full-time skipper.

The 31-year-old’s start to life in the hot seat has been bumpy. Having also suffered a 0-4 rout at the hands of England following the Ireland setback, it took a three-match tour of Zimbabwe for Shreyas to revel in the afterglow of a maiden victory as captain.

In southern Africa, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi played his part with two half-centuries, providing a glowing reflection of the prodigious skill bursting through his veins. The 15-year-old southpaw may have had a challenging initiation against Jofra Archer & Co., but looked right at ease whilst flaying the Zimbabwe attack in Harare. The Afghans, who possess the pace of Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi, will certainly try to examine the 15-year-old with the short-pitched ploy. It is a test that the teen star would want to embrace with glee.

With a fit-again Jasprit Bumrah back to operating at full tilt, meanwhile, the frailties that were laid bare with the ball in the United Kingdom shouldn’t resurface. He may be turning 33 in December, but remains the undisputed spearhead of the Indian pace pack.

If India is getting accustomed to Shreyas’ leadership style, Afghanistan is in the process of absorbing the ideas of the new captain-coach combination of Ibrahim Zadran and Richard Pybus.