ICC World Cup 2023: Fans excited for Virat Kohli vs Naveen-ul-Haq as India face Afghanistan

India are set to face Afghanistan today (October 11) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi before their highly-anticipated match against Pakistan on October 14.

After a stunning victory over the Australian team in the World Cup opener, India are riding high on confidence, making it unlikely for Afghanistan to pose much of a challenge. Their previous match saw India secure a six-wicket win, displaying their strong form.

Afghanistan's challenges

The Afghanistan team faces numerous challenges in the longer format of the white-ball game. They suffered a defeat in their first game against Bangladesh due to a batting collapse, with the entire team being bowled out for just 156 runs. Mehidy Hasan and skipper Shakib al Hasan claimed three wickets each.

In the 2019 World Cup, Afghanistan lost all nine matches and finished at the bottom of the rankings. With the exception of star player Rashid Khan, who is an all-rounder, few players on the team have significant exposure to international cricket. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Nabi, and Naveen ul Haq are among the key players, but the rest of the Afghanistan team is relatively young and less experienced compared to the Indian team.

However, despite the odds stacked against Afghanistan, fans are eagerly anticipating the face-off between Virat Kohli and his nemesis, Naveen-ul-Haq, Afghanistan's right-arm medium pacer. The two had a heated exchange during an IPL match, which adds intrigue to their encounter.

Virat Kohli vs Naveen ul Haq

• For those unfamiliar with the incident, Kohli and Naveen had a brief spat during an IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow SuperGiants at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium.
• Matters escalated after the match when the two exchanged words during the handshake.

  Be ready Naveen ul haq, Virat Kohli will show you levels on 11th. #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/dd1MdBvuEJ

  — Lokesh Saini🚩 (@LokeshVirat18K) October 9, 2023

• LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir later confronted Kohli, alleging sledging of Naveen-ul-Haq. Naveen later clarified that Virat initiated the altercation, and he hadn't said a word.
• During Afghanistan's match against Bangladesh in Dharamshala, fans chanted 'Kohli-Kohli' slogans.
• As Naveen embarks on his maiden World Cup tour in India, fans are eager to witness their first encounter since the altercation.

Here are some fan reactions ahead of the match:

1. Will Naveen-ul-Haq be the new Kesrick Williams?

Imagine Virat Kohli recreating this with naveen ul haq in Delhi

Be ready Naveen ul haq king Kohli will show you levels on 11th in his home ground pic.twitter.com/HyeSpAeioB

— Kevin (@imkevin149) October 9, 2023

2. The end of Naveen-ul-Haq?

Virat Kohli ending Naveen ul haq career in similar way tomorrow!!pic.twitter.com/NKdnRDXUTa

— Priyanshu (@PriyanshuVK18K) October 10, 2023

3. Will Virat show Naveen-ul-Haq his place?

Virat Kohli ending Naveen ul haq career in similar way tomorrow!!pic.twitter.com/NKdnRDXUTa

— Priyanshu (@PriyanshuVK18K) October 10, 2023

4. Will Gambhir say something from the commentary box?

Naveen ul haq ka kya hoga next match me😹😅

Gautam Gambhir ki commentary sunne me maza aaye us time🤒🤣

#ViratKohli #INDvsAFG pic.twitter.com/o3Vb8uG6I6

— Amit 2.0 Fearless 💖🔥 (@Amit_Fearless) October 9, 2023

India to play without Shubman Gill

• India's key opener, Shubman Gill, is not expected to play in the upcoming match against Afghanistan.
• The 22-year-old has been battling dengue and was hospitalized when his platelet count dropped.
• There are concerns about his availability for the match against Pakistan, which might disappoint Indian fans.
• The BCCI, however, has not issued an official statement regarding Gill's participation in the Pakistan match.

Possible inclusions of Shardul Thakur and Mohammad Shami

• Rohit Sharma might consider including Shardul Thakur and Mohammad Shami in the playing XI for the match against Afghanistan.
• Mohammad Shami could replace Jasprit Bumrah, and Shardul Thakur might take the place of Ravichandran Ashwin.

Pitch report

The Arun Jaitley pitch is typically a paradise for batsmen. During the Sri Lanka vs. South Africa World Cup game on October 7, a record 754 runs were scored in a single day. The boundaries at Arun Jaitley Stadium are short, and if India bats first, we may witness a score of 300-plus runs from the Indian team.

Probable XIs

India: Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma ( c ), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c ), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Fareed Ahmed, Rashid Khan, Naveen ul Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqui.