The anticipation of Rashid Khan’s absence from the T20I series against India is viewed as a chance for other Afghan players to make a mark against formidable opponents and carve their names into the cricketing landscape, according to Afghanistan’s head coach, Jonathan Trott. While Rashid, the star leg-spinner, is recovering from back surgery post the ODI World Cup in November, Trott sees this as an opportunity for fresh talent to step into the limelight.

During an interaction with ‘JioCinema,’ Trott expressed,

‘I believe with Rashid out of the side, it’s a good opportunity for other players to come in and step up and become household names like he is.”

Despite acknowledging the absence of Rashid’s leadership and all-around skills, Trott is optimistic about discovering players who can handle pressure and responsibility.

As Afghanistan kicks off the T20I series against India, Trott draws inspiration from their commendable performance at the ODI World Cup last year, setting the stage for rigorous preparation leading up to the T20 World Cup.

Addressing the challenges facing cricket luminaries like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Trott, a former England Test specialist, notes the advantage of having players who have competed against these stars in the IPL. He emphasizes the importance of executing plans against strong Indian sides and being ready to perform under pressure.

While Kohli is set to miss the series-opener due to personal reasons, Trott emphasizes that Afghanistan needs to excel in all aspects of the game and capitalize on key moments under pressure. Looking ahead, he mentions the team’s dual focus on winning the current series and building towards the T20 World Cup in June.

Reflecting on Afghanistan’s achievements in the 50-over World Cup, Trott highlights the players’ newfound belief and confidence. He sees these positive takeaways translating into other formats, fostering a competitive spirit on the world stage.

As the journey to the T20 World Cup in the Americas unfolds, Trott stresses the need to find the right combinations for different conditions. He aims to assemble a squad capable of adapting to diverse challenges and not relying excessively on spin bowling, ensuring a well-rounded and versatile team.

Persistent rain disrupted the second T20I match between Bangladesh and New Zealand today at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. The game was limited to only 11 overs before being called off. Despite the umpires waiting until the end and considering a five-over contest, the rain didn’t let up, leading to an early end to the match. Just 66 balls were bowled during this brief period of play. The third and final T20 is scheduled for Sunday at Mount Maunganui, where Bangladesh has a chance to secure their first series win in New Zealand in any format.

“We’re grateful for this opportunity and will do our best. We have full confidence in winning the series, In Sha Allah. In this series, we focus on the positives and don’t see any negatives. Catch-misses can happen, and we’re taking it in stride. Hoping for a better performance in the next match, In Sha Allah,” said Rishad after the match. He bowled economically, giving away only 10 runs in three overs without taking any wickets.

Tim Seifert scored 43 runs off 23 balls for the Kiwis before getting caught, ending his second-wicket partnership of 49 with Daryl Mitchell just as rain began to fall.

Seifert praised young Rishad, saying, “He bowled very well. Despite the strong Save wind, he bowled into it and hitting straight was tough. The boys played him well, and credit to him for bowling well in the first two overs.”

Shoriful Islam and Tanzim Hasan Sakib teamed up to dismiss New Zealand’s openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert. Bangladesh’s captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, won the toss and chose to bowl first in the second T20I at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on Friday. In a change for Bangladesh, Litton Das got injured in the first T20I, which Bangladesh won by five wickets. Shamim Hossain took his place in the playing XI. New Zealand stuck with the same lineup, fielding an unchanged XI.

The playing XIs are as follows:

New Zealand (Playing XI):Tim Seifert(w), Ben Sears,Mitchell Santner(c),Dary Mitchell, Finn Allen, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Mark Chapman, Adam Milne, Tim Southee.

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Rony Talukdar(w), Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Towhid Hridoy,Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman,Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain.

Bangladesh got off to a strong start, taking three wickets in the first nine deliveries against New Zealand. Mahedi Hasan dismissed Tim Seifert’s stumps with a spinning delivery in the opening over. Shoriful Islam then made a double breakthrough, getting an edge from Fin Allen and trapping Glenn Phillips in front. Mahedi returned to remove Daryll Mitchell in a similar fashion to Seifert. After six overs, New Zealand was 36 for four.

Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain broke the partnership between Mark Chapman and James Neesham by dismissing Chapman for 19. Neesham and captain Mitchell Santner steadied the innings with a crucial 41-run partnership. Shoriful claimed his third wicket by dismissing Santner, caught by Soumya Sarkar. Neesham continued, but a misguided wide yorker from Mustafizur Rahman turned into a full toss, resulting in the end of his 48-run innings at deep cover point.

Shoriful finished with figures of 3-26, while Mustafizur took 2-15. Mahedi, who bowled early, secured two wickets for 14 runs, and Rishad Hossain contributed with one wicket. Debutant pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib was a bit expensive, conceding 45 runs for one wicket in four overs.

England scored 267 for three in their 20 overs at the Brian Lara Academy, led by Salt’s aggressive play and half-centuries from skipper Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone. This was the second-highest innings score in a match between full member nations. Despite West Indies making a fast start, they lost wickets quickly and were bowled out for 192 in 15.3 overs.

Salt, who had an unbeaten ton in the previous game, continued his impressive form, contributing to the opening partnership of 117 with skipper Jos Buttler. Buttler scored 55 before being caught by West Indies captain Rovman Powell off Jason Holder. Will Jacks and Liam Livingstone further maintained the momentum with quick partnerships.

Salt, who hit ten sixes and seven fours, was finally bowled by Andre Russell in the penultimate over. In the West Indies reply, Brandon King was removed with the first ball, and despite Nicholas Pooran’s quick 20, wickets kept falling. Andre Russell’s powerful 51 off 25 balls included five sixes, but England secured the win when Russell was caught by Harry Brook off Topley.

India batted first and scored 180 for seven before rain stopped play with three balls remaining in their 20 overs. After a nearly one-hour delay, South Africa needed to make 152 runs in 15 overs. Reeza Hendricks’ impressive 49 off 27 balls led South Africa to victory with seven balls to spare. With this win, they took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, following a rain-affected first match in Durban. South African captain Aiden Markram acknowledged that the weather conditions favored his team, with rain affecting both the lead-up to the match and the end of the Indian innings.

“The second bit of rain helped us. The ball skidded on a bit and also affected the outfield,” said Markram.

Suryakumar, the Indian captain, scored 56 runs off 36 balls, entering the game with the team at 6 for 2 after two overs, following the dismissals of openers Yashavi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, both without scoring. Despite the early setbacks, Suryakumar and Tilak Varma (29) went on the offensive against some inconsistent bowling, contributing 49 runs off 25 balls. Later, Suryakumar and Singh combined for a partnership of 70 runs off 49 balls.

“That’s the brand of cricket we want to play, whatever the situation,” said Suryakumar.

Markram explained that due to the aggressive Indian batting, he had to employ a strategic approach in managing the bowlers. Tabraiz Shamsi, named the player of the match, bowled his left-arm wrist spin in three spells, securing figures of one for 18, which were the most economical in the entire match.

“Shammy bowled incredibly well,” said Markham.

Gerald Coetzee claimed three wickets for 32 runs, dismissing batsmen with the final two balls of the Indian innings. Just as Mohammed Siraj was about to face the hat-trick delivery, the umpires halted play and took the players off the field.

Maxwell is focused on winning a second T20 World Cup for Australia in the upcoming tournament in the United States and the West Indies. After a week of rest from India, he is ready to lead the Melbourne Stars in the opening match of the Big Bash League against Brisbane at the Gabba on Thursday night. At 35 years old, Maxwell, set to rejoin the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the next IPL season, aims to share IPL experience with more Australians. He hopes this exposure will benefit the national team as they get ready for the T20 World Cup in June.

“The IPL will probably be the last tournament I ever play, as I will play the IPL until I can’t walk anymore,” Maxwell said at Melbourne Airport on Wednesday.

“I was talking about how good the IPL has been to me throughout my career; the people I’ve met, the coaches I have played under, the international players that you get to rub shoulders with, how beneficial to my whole career that tournament has been,”

“You’re rubbing shoulders with AB [de Villiers] and Virat [Kohli] for two months, talking to them while watching other games. It’s just the greatest learning experience that any player could ask for. Hopefully a lot of our Australian players can get over to the IPL and get to work in slightly similar conditions to the West Indies, where it is a little bit drier, it will spin” he added.

Pakistan performed exceptionally well, scoring 137/6 in their 20 overs and effectively limited the hosts, securing a series-winning victory. This marks Pakistan’s first-ever T20I series win against the White Ferns and their first series triumph away from home since October 2018. Noteworthy contributions with the bat came from Muneeba Ali (35), Aliya Riaz (32*), and former captain Bismah Maroof (21). The bowlers, led by Sadia Iqbal (3/22), played a crucial role in restricting New Zealand to 9/2 early on. Fatima Sana stood out as the top-performing bowler for Pakistan, securing 3 wickets for 22 runs, while Hannah Rowe scored 33 for the home side. The third and final game of the series is scheduled for Saturday in Queenstown.