Rain disappoints Gaikwad-led India, Afghanistan

India made no changes to their playing eleven.

Afghanistan (Moham)made nine changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the Zadrans (Ibrahim and Najibullah), Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Fazalhaq Farooqi made way for Twenty20 International debutant Zubaid Akbari, Mohammad Shahzad, Noor Ali Zadran, Shahidullah, Afsar Zazai, Gulbadin Naib (who was leading the team), Sharafuddin Ashraf, Qais Ahmad, and Zahir Khan.

On winning the toss, Ruturaj Gaikwad, India’s skipper, chose to field.

The ground was wet before the start of play.

The first Powerplay of Afghanistan’s innings – which was the mandatory over – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 27, and lost three wickets.

Akbari, who faced eight-ball innings included a boundary, scored five. Nine balls into the match, he was caught by Arshdeep Singh. Shivam Dube broke the five-run stand.

Shahzad, who faced half-a-dozen balls, scored four. His runs came by way of a boundary. Eight balls later, he was caught by Jitesh Sharma. Arshdeep broke the four-run stand.

The third-wicket pair put on three. Noor, who faced four balls, scored a run. Three balls later, Ravi Bishnoi and Jitesh ran him out.

Afsar, whose 20-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 15. Thirty-eight balls later, Bishnoi broke the 37-run stand.

It was at that point that the drinks break was taken. Afghanistan had scored 49 for the loss of four wickets at that point. Shahidullah was batting on 22.

Afghanistan scored 50 off 9.5 overs (59 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point.

Karim Janat, who faced five balls, scored a run. Shahbaz Ahmed had a reason to be in seventh heaven – he broke the three-run stand.

Afghanistan scored 100 off 17.2 overs (104 balls). India had conceded nine extras at that point.

The sixth-wicket pair put on 50 off 41 balls. While Shahidullah’s contribution to the partnership was 24, Naib’s contribution to it was 20. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was half-a-dozen.

A hundred and ten balls (18.2 overs) into the match, there was an interruption due to rain. Afghanistan had scored 112 for the loss of five wickets at that point. While Shahidullah was unbeaten on 49, Naib was batting on 27.

While the former’s 43-ball innings included three boundaries and a couple of sixes, the latter’s 24-ball innings included a boundary and a couple of sixes.

India eventually conceded 10 extras.

Washington Sundar, who bowled three overs, conceded 23. He was wicketless, as was Sai Kishore, who bowled four overs, conceding 26.

Dube, who bowled an over, conceded four. He picked up a wicket.

Arshdeep, who bowled three overs, conceded 17. He picked up a wicket.

Shahbaz, who bowled 3.2 overs, conceded 28. He picked up a wicket.

Bishnoi, who bowled four overs, conceded a dozen. He picked up a wicket.

While the match ended without a result, India won the 2023 Asian Games Men’s Cricket Competition.