IND vs AFG: Afghanistan playing XI vs India, Match 9, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 - Predicted

Afghanistan will lock horns with India in Match 9 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Wednesday.

Afghanistan didn't have a great start to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. They lost their opening game of the tournament against Bangladesh quite badly, which dented their NRR as well. Now, Afghan team have an even bigger challenge in front of them. They will be facing the hosts and one of the top contenders, India, in their next game.

That game will take place on October 11 (Wednesday) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Afghanistan will be looking to bounce back well, but they will have to play with their best possible team. Here, we will talk about the predicted playing XI for Afghanistan on Wednesday against India.

IND vs AFG: Afghanistan's predicted playing XI vs India

1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) :

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the biggest wicket in Afghanistan batting line-up. Because he is in the best form at the moment and scoring runs in almost every game. Even in the last game against Bangladesh, he was the top- scorer for his team. Gurbaz made 47 runs, but his team needs him to play a big innings in this all-important game against India.

2. Ibrahim Zadran :

Ibrahim Zadran is another player who is capable of playing some big innings and has done a pretty good job for his team in the last few years. He is also among the runs and will be a big wicket for Indians because he can take the game deep and can play as a perfect anchor.

3. Rahmat Shah :

Rahmat Shah is one of the most experienced players on this team and is a very important member. He has played big innings in the recent past at crunch time. Rahmat has some good numbers when it comes to playing in Asian conditions, and a lot will depend on him if the openers fall early.

4. Hashmatullah Shahidi (c) :

Afghan captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, hasn't had good numbers in the last few matches. But he will surely be looking to play a captain's knock on Wednesday. Afghanistan can't take consecutive defeats, and that is when his role will become more crucial for the team. Being a captain, he is expected to score runs.

5. Mohammad Nabi :

Mohammad Nabi is a true match winner on this team and has been doing well for the team with both bat and ball. Nabi will be a possible hurdle for Indians because he has done some good work in both departments against India in the past. With so much experience under his belt, Nabi can be a possible game-changer for Afghanistan.

6. Najibullah Zadran :

Najibullah Zadran is a hard-hitting finisher for Afghanistan team. He has been doing well over the years in white-ball cricket. The left-hander has some good stats as a finisher, but his role will be to tackle Indian spinners, and being a left-hander, it might be easy for him to score against Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.

7. Azmatullah Omarzai :

Azmatullah Omarzai had a pretty decent game against Bangladesh with both bat and ball. He scored a quick 22 runs off 20 balls and then picked up 1/9. He will be required once again with his all-round skill. His medium-pace bowling will be challenging on a slow and sluggish pitch in Delhi, and he is a decent all-rounder to make an impact.

8. Rashid Khan :

Rashid Khan will be very important for his team on Wednesday. Indian batters have struggled against a quality leg spinner, and Rashid is certainly among the best at the moment. He can put pressure on Indian middle-order batters. He has also improved his batting in recent years and can hit the ball hard in the last few overs, which will be another thing that India should worry about.

9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman :

Mujeeb Ur Rahman is another quality spinner in Afgan line-up. He can bowl in the power-play and has picked up wickets with the new ball. Mujeeb can be a challenging spinner for Indian team, and he can be a difference-maker for the team. India will look to not give him wickets because he can run through the batting- order.

10. Naveen-ul-Haq :

It will be an interesting battle to watch between Naveen-ul-Haq and Virat Kohli that the fans are waiting for. Both had a heated argument in IPL 2023. By the way, Naveen can be a threat to Indian top-order because he can bowl some seriously slower balls, which can take wickets and trouble the opposition.

11. Fazalhaq Farooqi :

Fazalhaq Farooqi will be the key bowler for his team upfront because he is a left-arm pacer who bowls pretty well with the new ball. Indian top-order have always struggled against quality left-arm pacers, and Farooqi can surely be one of them. India's top three should be looking to attack him, or else he might end up taking a few wickets.