Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 13: India will begin their three-match T20 International series against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday, with the opening match scheduled to start at 7 pm IST.
The second T20I will be played at the same venue on Tuesday, September 15, while the third and final match will be held on Thursday, September 17. All three matches are scheduled for the same time and venue.
Shreyas Iyer will lead the Indian side, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. The squad includes several key players, with Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh forming part of the pace attack along with Yash Thakur. Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson returns to the T20I squad, while spinner Varun Chakaravarthy is also back after recovering from injury. Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also been included in the squad.
The Indian squad also features Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi. Yash Thakur was added after Harshit Rana was ruled out with a rectus femoris strain sustained during a match simulation. Bumrah's inclusion was subject to fitness clearance, while Nitish Kumar Reddy has cleared his fitness test.
Afghanistan will be led by Ibrahim Zadran, who is taking charge as the team's full-time T20I captain for the first time. The Afghan squad includes experienced campaigners such as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai and Fazalhaq Farooqi. Zadran has said Afghanistan have prepared specifically to deal with India's pace spearhead Bumrah and have also been keeping a close watch on young batter Sooryavanshi.
India have enjoyed a dominant record against Afghanistan in T20Is, winning eight of their nine previous meetings, with one match ending without a result. Their most recent meeting came in the Super Eight stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup, when India defeated Afghanistan by 47 runs.
The series comes at an important stage for both sides, with India looking to build momentum ahead of upcoming international commitments. It also provides Iyer with another opportunity to establish himself as India's T20I captain after a difficult start to his tenure.
An unusual feature of the series is that Afghanistan are officially the hosts despite all three matches being played in New Delhi. The arrangement has drawn attention because Afghanistan's home matches are being staged outside the country.
For television viewers in India, the series will be available on the Sony Sports Network, while live streaming is available through FanCode on a subscription basis.