India and Afghanistan will lock horns in the third and final T20I at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on January 17. The Men in Blue have clinched the series, comfortably winning the first two games held in Mohali and Indore, respectively.

Speaking about the second T20I, India restricted Afghanistan to 172 after winning the toss and opting to bowl first. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of bowlers who claimed a three-wicket haul while Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel finished with figures of 2/39 and 2/17, respectively. Gulbadin Naib was the standout performer for Afghanistan, who played a gritty knock of 35-ball 57 runs. In response, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube powered India to cross the line in 15.4 overs. Jaiswal smashed 68 runs off just 34 deliveries while Dube, played an unbeaten 63 off a mere 32 deliveries to help India cross the line in 15.4 overs.

India captain Rohit Sharma, who faced consecutive ducks, will look to make a crucial comeback in the last T20I game ahead of the much-awaited ICC T20 World Cup later this year. Jaiswal, on the other hand, validated his abilities as an opener after being named as a replacement for Shubman Gill in the second T20I. India have a consistent middle order. Axar Patel and Dube will add the batting as well as the bowling strength. The pace attack led by Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar will also carry forward their current form.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, have shown some improvement in their batting in the second T20I and are expected to maintain the consistency in the upcoming game. Right-armers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen ul Haq’s performance will be pivotal for Afghanistan in the third game as the Ibrahim Zadran-led side are aiming to avoid a whitewash. In addition, the pitch at M Chinnaswamy is known as batter-friendly and fans can expect a high-scoring encounter.