Ahead of their Super 8 clash against Afghanistan, the Indian cricket team engaged in a friendly beach volleyball match in Barbados. The team, including Virat Kohli, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Khaleel Ahmed among others, gathered on the sunny beach to unwind. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video on X platform showcasing the players enjoying their time with the caption, “Unwinding at the beach, the #TeamIndia way!”
India secured their place in the Super 8 stage after a successful campaign in New York, defeating the co-hosts USA and topping Group A with three consecutive wins. They began with a dominant 8-wicket victory over Ireland, comfortably chasing down 97 runs in just 13 overs. In their second match against Pakistan, India struggled to 119 runs but managed to defend it well, restricting Pakistan to 113/7 with an impressive performance from Jasprit Bumrah. The third group-stage encounter against the hosts USA posed challenges, but India successfully chased down 111 runs, guided by Shivam Dube and Suryakumar Yadav after early dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli by left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar.
Unfortunately, India’s scheduled match against Canada was abandoned due to a wet outfield in Florida. Despite this, India finished at the top of Group A with seven points. They are set to commence their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan in Barbados.
The Indian squad for the T20 World Cup includes Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj. The reserves are Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Avesh Khan.
Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup squad, led by Rashid Khan, features Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves include Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, and Saleem Safi.