India eye T20 series sweep vs Afghanistan before WC

Wednesday's dead rubber also happens to be India's last international T20 match before the T20 World Cup in West Indies. Afghanistan are yet to win against India. And chances of that happening don't look good at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where it rains sixes.

- Somshuvra Laha

It only provides a further impetus for India to test out their batting riches. Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been exceptional. Rinku Singh shows he belongs at this level. Shubman Gill and Tilak Varma all have done what was expected of them.

But more heartening has been Virat Kohli's intent. A self-imposed hiatus from T20Is since the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to England has evidently hardened Kohli's resolve to get India across the line in an ICC event. He hasn't let the narrative go down a predictable path. He isn't taking time to settle in, not trying to keep his shots down and neither is he satisfied with boundaries anymore.

Particularly satisfying was the way he tried to cut Mujeeb Ur Rahman Afghanistan's best spinner to size. These are unprecedented times when you also consider Rohit Sharma has wholeheartedly committed to this high-risk, high-rewards batting approach. If this sticks, India can really turn it on.