IND vs AFG - Virat Kohli returns to T20I, Yashasvi Jaiswal added in place of Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma

As anticipated, Team India, having won the toss and considering the pitch conditions, has chosen to field first against Afghanistan at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. Adding to the excitement, the return of Virat Kohli to the T20I lineup after 14 months has captivated crowds and fans. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was sidelined in the first T20I due to a sore right groin, is set to reclaim his spot at the top, replacing Shubman Gill and Tilak Varma.

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At the toss, skipper Rohit Sharma said, "We are going to bowl first. No particular reason. Just nature of the ground, especially the small boundaries. The things we were talking about in our meeting, we were able to come out and execute in the first game. We asked for specific roles from the guys and they performed accordingly". 

When asked if the captain has spoken to the young boys and given any pointers, the 'Hitman' said, "Not much; they don't have any baggage and it is all about backing them and allowing them to be free on the ground". 

Talking about the team selection, the captain said, "We will do things keeping the World Cup in mind but we know results are also important. (Virat) Kohli and (Yashasvi) Jaiswal are back for (Shubman) Gill and Tilak (Varma).

Social media was abuzz with discussions among netizens regarding the inclusion of the two batters in the squad. Many even deliberated whether Kohli should open the innings or maintain his position at No. 3.

As for the Afghan side, captain Ibrahim Zadran said, "We will try to bat well today and put runs on the board. Again lost the toss and I would have wanted to bowl first. We spoke about the first game and worked in the net session yesterday. We did not have a good start with the bat in the last game, we spoke and hopefully we can give a good start today. Rahmat is not playing. Noor Ahmad is playing."

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Teams:

Afghanistan (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar