Shreyas Iyer is currently leading India in T20Is | PC- AFP
After the two Tests in Sri Lanka, Team India's next assignment is in the shortest format of the game. The Men in Blue will next be seen in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan next month. However, ahead of the series, Ajay Jadeja has given India an Afghanistan threat.
Although India defeated the Lankans in the Test series, they lost back-to-back series in Ireland and England after being crowned as the T20 World Champions. That said, the Men in Blue were able to revive themselves by whitewashing the Chevrons in Zimbabwe.
Ajay Jadeja warms India against taking Afghanistan lightly
Ahead of the big series, former India batter and Afghanistan's ex-mentor Ajay Jadeja warned the Men in Blue about how big a threat their upcoming opponents could be.
Although India have never lost an international fixture to Afghanistan, the neighbouring giants have surely grown their stature in recent times. After getting whitewashed by India earlier this month, they toured Ireland to beat them 4-0 in away conditions.
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue had been defeated by the Irish just before Afghanistan outclassed the European side. Jadeja, too, lauded them by stating the same.
Also Read: Pakistan Enters India vs Afghanistan T20I Series
“How special are they (Afghanistan)? I will show you that in the stats. India went to Ireland and lost two T20Is there; they recently defeated them. They are that special. So, don’t take them lightly," Ajay Jadeja said on Sony Sports Network.
"What makes them special is their belligerence and niceness. They are a team that doesn’t even know its own strengths. They have a brilliant strength and freedom as a team. Usually, coaching makes your foundation strong, but it doesn’t allow you to flourish. They are different; the senior players (over there) are all unique. They are all gems who need a bit of polishing. I find myself fortunate to have been with them and be a part of the growth journey," he added.
How Ajay Jadeja helped Afghanistan punch above their weight?
Ajay Jadeja, who played 196 ODIs and 15 Tests for India before his career came to an unfortunate end, served as a mentor to the Afghanistan team during the 2023 World Cup in India.
During that marquee event, Jadeja and the Asian team gelled so well, which was even evident on the field. In the tournament, Afghanistan defeated top sides such as Pakistan, England, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, but lost the semifinal spot after losing a tight game against Australia at Mumbai.
However, they took themselves a notch higher in the next marquee event, finishing as a semifinalist at an ICC event for the first time during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Will Delhi’s slow pitches give Afghanistan the edge vs India?
Nevertheless, in what would be a historic series, Afghanistan are set to host India in New Delhi, starting from September 13.
Even after 9 attempts in T20Is, Afghanistan are yet to defeat the Indians, but they might come close this time as the pitches would be slower at the Arun Jaitley Stadium after the busy DPL 2026 season.
However, the Shreyas Iyer-led India will be ready for all challenges thrown at them.
Also Read: List Of Times India-Pakistan Teams Have Refused To Take The Field
