India vs Afghanistan: Dube makes a case for World Cup inclusion, time running out for Samson and more takeaways

There were more questions than answers for Team India in the recently-concluded T20I series against Afghanistan. India might have completed a 3-0 series sweep over Afghanistan with a dramatic Super Over finish, but if anything, this series was more about getting those team combinations right. Having said that, this was the final opportunity for the Men in Blue to perform as a unit before the T20 World Cup in June.

India were missing the services of injured Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, so this was an opportunity for the fringe players to step up. So, who were the hits and misses from the three-match series? We take a look at five key takeaways from the series:

Shivam Dube makes a case

India were missing an all-rounder like Hardik Pandya who adds balance to the side. Pandya has been sidelined from competitive cricket since suffering an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup last year. However, that didn’t seem to matter much, as Shivam Dube stepped up on a couple of occasions during the series against Afghanistan.

While it may still be a tough task for Dube to get into the India squad for the T20 World Cup, given the possibility of Hardik’s return, it was clear during the series that Dube has evolved as a batter thanks to his stint with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

At CSK, he was seen more as a finisher who plays vital cameos given that he mostly came out to bat in the middle overs. But, against Afghanistan, Dube matured as a batter by doing more than just playing mere cameos. Scores of 60 not out and 63 not out certainly looks promising for a batter like Dube, who like Pandya also adds an extra pacer option, but he might have to play the waiting game as far his T20 World Cup hopes are concerned. Having said that, Dube should push for a slot with an impressive IPL in case Pandya fails to recover fully.

Axar Patel shines

Axar Patel once again gave a timely reminder to the selectors as to why he just cannot be written off. Axar finished with figures of 2/23 and 2/17 in two of the three T20Is, and these couple of performances have showcased just how good he can be in terms of producing match-defining moments.

Axar’s pinpoint accuracy with the ball was something he has developed since coming back from a quadriceps injury that kept him out of the ODI World Cup last year. To add to that, he looked disciplined with the lines and lengths, and varied his pace quite often. Maybe, just maybe, Axar might have gone up the pecking order ahead of Ravindra Jadeja as far as his bowling is concerned.

Time running out for Sanju Samson

Another opportunity, another failure for Sanju Samson. That has been the case for the Kerala batter whenever he’s been part of the India playing XI. There was a huge roar at the Chinnaswamy Stadium when Rohit called out Sanju Samson’s name, but barring a few performances, Samson has been underwhelming in international cricket.

Wednesday was probably the last opportunity for Samson to keep his hopes of making the T20 World Cup squad alive. Samson’s shot selection has been questioned time and again and it was the case again when he tried to swing a short ball from Fareed Ahmad, only to get a top-edge and find Mohammad Nabi at cover.

Repeated failures have hurt Samson in the past, but this would hurt him even more. The spotlight will once again turn to Jitesh Sharma, with many backing the 30-year-old over Samson.

Shubman Gill’s nightmare

Not long ago, Shubman Gill was in the form of his life. 891 runs for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 and 2000 runs for India last year – Gill looked like a force to be reckoned with.

However, Gill was a shadow of himself in the first T20I against Afghanistan in Mohali. A terrible mistake from a ball-watching Gill cost Rohit his wicket. One bad performance and you could be at the risk of missing out in the next matches. It’s that reality that struck Gill after the first game.

Having said that, Jaiswal opened with Rohit in the second T20I and may have given Gill a run for his money, with a timely knock of 68 from 34 deliveries. Should Team India persist with Jaiswal in the T20 World Cup, that would put Gill’s spot in the playing XI at risk because the openers’ slot is where Gill has played throughout his T20I career.

Gulbadin Naib stands out

For Afghanistan, who boast of a power-packed batting lineup, it was Gulbadin Naib who stood out. With 112 runs (two fifties) from two innings and a strike-rate of 193, Naib took the Indian bowlers to the cleaners.

In the third T20I, with Afghanistan having lost Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naib stood tall with Mohammad Nabi (34) at the other end, with an unbeaten 55 off just 23 balls. Naib would punish Avesh Khan for repeated boundaries, in the 14^th as well as the 19^th overs, before using his bottom-hand to effect in the final over to slam Mukesh Kumar for a maximum over long-off, a six that brought Afghanistan back in the game.

Naib was also Afghanistan’s lone fighter in the second T20I in Indore, with a valiant knock of 57 off 35 balls, even when wickets were falling apart at the other end. It’s safe to say that Naib has showcased his true character with the bat, with these couple of knocks, and more importantly it’s about the awareness of the game situation that would matter to him most more than anything else.