ICC World Cup 2019: Afghanistan predicted XI against India – Gulbadin Naib to make tactical change

The Afghanistan team is in turmoil and the infighting is out in the open now. The head coach is blaming the chief selector for the team’s bad performance and vice versa.

Afghanistan will look to end their losing streak when they take on high-flying India in a crunch ICC World Cup 2019 group stage encounter at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Saturday.

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan (L) talks with Afghanistan's captain Gulbadin Naib (R) during a training session. (AFP)

Afghanistan have lost their five encounters so far while as for India, they are unbeaten in the tournament, winning three and one match was abandoned due to rain.

The Afghanistan team is in turmoil and the infighting is out in the open now. The head coach is blaming the chief selector for the team’s bad performance and vice versa.

There has been no fixed playing XI right through the course of the tournament and it is expected there will be few changes on offer against India as well.

Against England, skipper Gulbadin Naib opened the innings while in the previous match against South Africa, he came to bat at the number eight position. Afghanistan could bring back regular opener Hazratullah Zazai to deal with the pace of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami early on.

Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Asghar Afghan form a decent middle-order. They are likely to go in with three spinners once again in Mohammed Nabi, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Rahman.

Afghanistan’s predicted XI: Hazratullah Zazai, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Ikram Ali Khil (wk), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Dawlat Zadran