“If I was Rohit Sharma”- Kris Srikkanth’s golden advice for India to win against Afghanistan

India will start their T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight campaign against Afghanistan on June 20 at Kensington Oval, Barbados. Before the match, former India opener Kris Srikkanth had a golden advice for Rohit Sharma and his men which can help them put Afghanistan under pressure.

India qualified for the Super Eight stage by staying unbeaten in Group A with seven points to their tally, which included wins over Ireland, Pakistan, and the USA while their last group stage match against Canada was washed out.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan finished second in Group C with six points, registering thumping wins over Uganda, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. Their only loss in the tournament came against the tournament co-hosts West Indies.

Also read: “You’ll see the real Virat Kohli now”- Former Indian legend warns Rashid Khan and co

Kris Srikkanth’s golden advice for India

According to Kris Srikkanth, Afghanistan have a powerful bowling attack but their batting looks weak.  During a chat with Star Sports, Srikkanth warned India of taking Afghanistan lightly and advised to not let them bat first because of their terrific bowling attack.

“You can’t take things lightly against Afghanistan. They have a good team and a terrific bowling side. So, I was the Indian captain, if I was Rohit Sharma, I would like to bat first. Don’t let Afghanistan bat first because if that happens they will score around 160-170 and their bowlers are good enough to maybe defend the total. While Afghanistan’s bowling is very strong, their batting is very weak,” Srikkanth told Star Sports.

Srikkanth was a part of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team and played a crucial role in India’s title win. He has played 43 Tests and 146 ODIs for India in his international career.

Afghanistan have a solid bowling attack 

Afghanistan have been traditionally known for its high-quality spinners but this time, its fast bowlers have been in good form as well. Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farrooqi is the highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far with mind-boggling stats.

Farooqi has picked up 12 wickets in four matches so far at an average of 6.66 and an economy rate of 5.58. Naveen-ul-Haq has complemented him well with 5 wickets at an average of 11.80.

Meanwhile, their strength is their spin bowling, which will be led by their captain Rashid Khan. Rashid is probably the greatest-ever spinner in the history of T20 cricket and has loads of experience of playing around the globe. He has picked up 6 wickets in four matches at an average of 16.50 so far. Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi are the other two spinners in the squad expected to play against India.

On the other hand, India will rely on their star batting line-up to produce the goods in an important game. Virat Kohli hasn’t been at his best in the tournament so far and will be expected to score runs on a better batting wicket here.

India have an excellent record against Afghanistan in T20Is as they have won seven out of eight matches played so far. One game ended in a tie, which India went on to win in the Super Over.