India vs Afghanistan: Clash Of The Left-Arm Pacers In Anticipated Battle
The sudden withdrawal of Jasprit Bumrah from the 2022 T20 World Cup owing to a back injury left a huge hole in the Indian pace department. India had Mohammed Shami, who has participated in every T20 World Cup since 2014, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Hardik Pandya, but it remained to be seen who would take the lead as the formidable wicket-taker. Arshdeep Singh was the place to find the solution.
It’s one thing to have taken a lot of wickets, but it’s another to have done so in a powerplay style. With the exception of the Pakistan come across, he has claimed wickets in the opening six overs of each game. It’s actually what sets him apart. He is India’s strongest asset because of his left-arm variation, ability to move the ball toward and away from the right-hander, and crisp bouncer.
The numbers say as much. Since the start of 2022, Arshdeep stands fourth among pacers in all T20s with 129 wickets. In T20 internationals, Arshdeep is the second among pacers (69) in the same phase with Ireland’s Mark Adair (71) leading the tally.
When it comes to powerplay T20I wickets in the period, Indian tops the list (28) with Fazalhaq Farooqi (26)
Afghanistan’s growth in seam bowling may also be attributed to the rise of left-arm bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi during this T20 World Cup. After making his debut in 2021, he has accomplished enough to rank fifth among their top wicket-takers; after 38 matches, he is just one wicket short of 50. He also participated in a few 2022 and 2023 IPL games for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Farooqi contributed significantly to Afghanistan’s decisive victory over New Zealand in the final four overs, finishing with remarkable stats of 4/17, which was essential to their advancement to the Super Eight stage. In addition, he took 3/16 against Papua New Guinea and 5/9 against Uganda. A total of 12 scalps have vaulted Farooqi to the top of the tournament’s wicket-taker standings.
Considering both teams have a lot riding on them to win and move up in the tournament’s Super 8’s standings, this game could be riveting. A fierce encounter featuring the best skills from both teams is what fans can expect.
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