T20 World Cup: Kuldeep replaces Siraj as India elect to bat first against Afghanistan

Bridgetown, June 20 (IANS) Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav replaces fast-bowler Mohammed Siraj in India’s playing eleven as captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first in the side’s first Super Eight match of 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval on Thursday. India have met Afghanistan eight times in men’s T20Is and have never lost to them in the format. The last time they met, India and Afghanistan were tied at 212 each at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru this year and played out two Super Overs before Rohit & Co eventually prevailed.Kuldeep didn’t feature in India’s Group A matches in the USA due to conditions being favourable for fast bowlers. But with the expectation of spinners thriving in the West Indies as the game progresses, he is now all set to play his first T20 World Cup game.It means India’s bowling combination consists of three spinners, three pacers, and the part-time pace of Shivam Dube. “Looks alright at this moment, looks like a good track. No grass on the pitch, I guess it will get slower. It’s better than New York. We have to adapt to the conditions quickly.”“We have been here for a couple of days, we have played a lot of