Cricket

India should be wary of ‘exceptionally dangerous’ Afghanistan, says Sunil Gavaskar

 

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has issued a warning to the Men in Blue ahead of their third T20 World Cup match against Afghanistan. Team India are without a win after the first two games and the massive defeats to Pakistan and New Zealand have not only left them shell-shocked, but also staring at an early exit from the tournament.

India’s qualification hopes are hanging by a thread as their fate isn’t in their hands anymore. Meanwhile, they will go head-to-head against a resolute Afghanistan side who have the ability to add insult to injury. Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar said that the Afghan spinners are well capable of exploiting the weaknesses of the Indian batting unit which has already looked extremely off-colour in the tournament.

“Yes, they are exceptionally dangerous… because they are a team that’s unafraid to play their shots in the 20-over game, they just go out and swing their bats quite happily. They have got mystery spinners and Indian batters in recent times have shown a certain vulnerability against top-quality spin, particularly the back-of-the-hand spin. I think they are, like the commonly used word, a ‘banana peel’ opponent because you tend to not take them too seriously and you can, you know, slip and fall down playing against them,” he said.

Afghanistan possess two world class spinners in Mujeeb Ur Rehman and Rashid Khan who can spin the opposition to death. The entire team has played amazing cricket so far in the competition and they recorded massive wins over Namibia and Scotland and only suffered a narrow loss against Pakistan.

Spin bowling has been the chink in the armour for Indian batters who have struggled immensely in the middle overs to not only hold on to their wickets, but to also keep the run rate ticking. Both New Zealand and Pakistan enjoyed their matchups in this particular phase and that is exactly what Afghanistan led by the fantastic Rashid Khan will be aiming for.

“You’ve got to say that the Afghanistan spinners, Rashid Khan, in particular, are going to be a bigger challenge than, say, an Ish Sodhi or Imad Wasim. So, India really needs to step up, need to be aggressive, [the batters] need to come down the pitch a bit more to counter the turn. There won’t be much turn here in Abu Dhabi… so I think you need to try and throw the bowler off by trying to step down the pitch by making him change his length, the line,” Gavaskar concluded.

 

 

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

Dinesh Karthik hails support staff after IPL 2025 final win against Punjab Kings

Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik hailed the team’s think tank after they clinched a… Read More

June 4, 2025

IPL 2025: List of all awards after RCB win maiden title

RCB clinched their maiden IPL title after defeating Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 final by… Read More

June 4, 2025

Aakash Chopra lauds Rajat Patidar’s captaincy in RCB’s IPL 2025 win

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra hailed Rajat Patidar’s captaincy after RCB clinched their maiden… Read More

June 4, 2025

Injury Blow for Malvika Bansod as She Retires Hurt at Indonesia Open

Indian badminton star Malvika Bansod’s campaign at the Indonesia Open 2025 came to a heartbreaking… Read More

June 4, 2025

RCB Finally Breaks the Curse, Clinches Maiden IPL Title in Nail-Biting Final

After 17 seasons of heartbreak, near-misses, and relentless hope, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has finally… Read More

June 4, 2025

East Bengal Target Abhishek Tekcham Singh as Rebuild Begins; Melroy Assisi Set for Diamond Harbour FC Switch

Promising Indian defender Abhishek Tekcham Singh is poised to join East Bengal ahead of the… Read More

June 4, 2025