IND vs AFG 1st T20I: Afghanistan Head Coach Jonathan Trott Says Afghans Have Plans To Stop Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma

India vs Afghanistan T20Is: Afghanistan put up an impressive performance in the ODI World Cup and will now be taking on India in a three-match T20I series starting tonight in Mohali. Their head coach Jonathan Trott speaks on their chances.

Jonathan Trott and Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (Images: ANI)

Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott believes his team has it in them to stop the India batting greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the T20I series. Not to forget, Rohit and Virat are returning to the T20Is after a long break from the format. They last featured in T20Is in 2022 when they played T20 World Cup in Australia. In between, they have played T20s only in IPL. 

Afghanistan have plans for Virat and Rohit, said Trott, while speaking to  JioCinema, who are the official broadcaster of the tournament. Trott said that Rohit and Virat are big names but his team has plans for them and it will come down to executing their plans well on that day. "Any side that India selects is strong. Add to it the likes of Rohit and Virat and they have been world-class players for a while. We are fortunate enough to have players who have played quite a lot of cricket against them in the IPL. The other guys have watched them on TV, so there will definitely be some plans for them. It’s about executing those plans and making sure that on the day we are ready to do that," said Trott.

Trott said that they need to be better in all three facets of the game to stop India from winning the series. "We need to win those key moments under pressure. That’s what today’s practice is all about, so that players are ready to perform whenever they get the opportunity to make an impact in a game," said Trott.

Trott also commented on the impact of Rashid Khan's absence on team selection, stating that while they will miss Rashid's leadership and overall contributions, it presents an opportunity for other players to step up and make a name for themselves. Trott emphasized the importance of seeing who will take on responsibility and handle pressure, especially in the aftermath of the World Cup just a few months ago.

"Afghanistan is known for T20s. The players have played a lot more T20s compared to the other formats. But it’s about making sure we have the in-form 11 players playing together on the pitch. We also need to get the right combinations for different conditions and start building a squad of players that can compete with the likes of the world champions, also adapt to different conditions and not be one dimensional and rely too much on the spin bowling," said Trott on how Afghanistan plans to do in T20 World Cup 2024.