IND vs AFG, 1st T20I: Team India's Probable Playing XI

Rohit Sharma will return to the T20I side as the captain in the series against Afghanistan. The right-hander has a record 4 centuries in 148 T20Is.

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Shubman Gill struggled initially in T20Is, but seems to have picked up the pace. The right-hander's best T20I innings came against New Zealand in 2023 when Gill smashed 126 off 63 deliveries.

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Virat Kohli is arguably one of the best T20I players and has an astonishing record at No.3. Kohli has 4008 runs in 115 T20Is, averaging 52.73.

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Tilak Varma has shown enormous promise, having played in only 15 T20Is. The left-hander strikes at a healthy 141.55 along with a couple of half-centuries.

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Sanju Samson has returned to the T20I setup in a long time. With India also having Jitesh Sharma in the squad, Samson is at least likely to play the 1st match. Nevertheless, he only has 1 half-century in 24 T20Is.

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Shivam Dube had a stellar IPL and was picked for the T20I series against Australia. Dube has a mediocre with the bat and ball in both matches and will be keen to prove his worth ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.

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Rinku Singh has proven himself as a bona fide finisher since debuting in international cricket in 2023. Rinku has a T20I strike rate of well over 150.

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Axar Patel is yet another batter, whose batting skills have grown exponentially. Axar, who bowls left-arm spin, is a genuine wicket-taker and varies his pace very well.

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Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav is yet another threatening bowler. Kuldeep also has an excellent record in T20Is, picking up 58 scalps in 34 matches at 13.81 with 2 five-wicket hauls.

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Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh is likely to take the new ball against Afghanistan. While Arshdeep has been slightly inconsistent, he has a promising record in T20Is, taking 59 wickets in 42 games at 20.41.

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Mukesh Kumar impressed one and all in the T20I series against Australia, especially in death overs. Mukesh, who is likely to take the new ball at least in the 1st T20I, has 10 wickets from 11 T20Is at 31.40.

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