India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I: Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran has warned India that his side will arrive with a clear plan for the three-match T20I series, rather than treating the tour as a routine assignment.
The first match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on September 13. A major focus ahead of the series opener will be Jasprit Bumrah’s return to international cricket. The India pacer is expected to feature after missing matches during his recovery from a knee injury suffered in July.
Afghanistan Have A Plan For Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah’s return is a major boost for India, with the fast bowler capable of changing a match through his accuracy, pace and variations. Afghanistan, however, are confident that careful planning can help them handle the challenge.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Zadran described Bumrah as one of the best fast bowlers in the world and admitted that he is his favourite pacer. The Afghanistan captain also insisted that his team would not overcomplicate its approach.
‘If you look at Jasprit Bumrah, he is one of the best, and he is my favourite fast bowler. We as a group never think things in a complicated way for ourselves. So we have a very good plan for him, and we just thought about him, how to play against him, and hopefully we are going to play better cricket against Jasprit Bumrah or the Indian cricket team,’ Zadran said.
Ibrahim Zadran Confident About Indian Conditions
Afghanistan have plenty of experience playing in India and are familiar with the conditions at several venues. Zadran pointed to the team’s appearances in both the T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup as evidence of that experience.
The upcoming series will be Afghanistan’s second bilateral assignment against India this year. India previously dominated the one-off Test and ODI series, but Afghanistan will look to produce a stronger challenge in the shortest format.
The matches will be played in Delhi, with the Afghanistan Cricket Board serving as the host for the series.
Zadran Calls For Proper Execution
While Afghanistan have prepared specifically for India’s key players, Zadran believes execution will ultimately decide whether the visitors can compete with the hosts.
The captain said his team understands how to adjust to Indian conditions and will focus on following its plans against a strong Indian side.
‘Yes, we have played enough cricket here in India; we all know the conditions, how to play, how to adjust ourselves, and we have played a series here against India, and the T20 World Cup, and the 50-over World Cup as well. We know the conditions really well, and how to play. We just need to execute the plan really well, according to the opposition, and that’s it,’ Zadran said.