The business end of the T20 World Cup begins for India against spirited Afghanistan. Rohit Sharma's men have never lost to the Afghans in this format and are a much stronger team on paper, but this is a high-stakes World Cup game in sticky Caribbean conditions.
T20 WORLD CUP:
Remember, the last T20I played between the two teams in Bengaluru on Jan 17, 2024 was the only one in T20I history to feature two sets of Super Overs. The Afghans will be no pushovers.
TACTICS BOARD
Bat first, bat big: Matches in the US were low-scoring affairs with the ball dominating bat, but things are expected to improve in the Caribbean. The Barbados track has been a sporting pitch with an average bat-first score of 172.
Both teams may look to bat first if they win the toss. It's worth mentioning that the Afghans excel at defending targets but tend to struggle while chasing.
The previous game here saw Australia score 201 batting first against England. For Afghanistan, inform openers Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran will once again be the key.
Smother with spin: Caribbean tracks are usually spin-friendly, with finger-spinners who bowl faster and flatter - like Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel - expected to do well.
However, leg-spinners have done well here too, and India's dilemma is what to do with in-form left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has been warming the bench.
KEY BATTLES
Rashid Khan vs India's middle order: The wily leggie is an expert at turning matches with key wickets in the middle while keeping the scoring rate down. Can India's batter of the moment Rishabh Pant, designated spin-hitter Shivam Dube and the maverick Suryakumar Yadav keep him quiet?
Fazalhaq Farooqi vs Rohit Sharma: Left-arm pace has been the Indian captain's old bugbear and Afghanistan will depend heavily on Farooqi to get India's opener with the one that swings in.
Virat Kohli vs Naveenul-Haq: Another potentially spicy faceoff given the history of antagonism between the two. Kohli's recent rough patch may put extra pressure on him to take on the pacers.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Jasprit Bumrah: How this one goes may well decide which way the contest swings.
