Afghanistan may be the designated hosts, but India will have the advantage of familiar surroundings when the two sides begin their three-match T20I series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.
All three matches of the Freedom T20 Cup will be hosted by Afghanistan in the Indian capital, meaning India will technically occupy the visitors’ dressing room. Yet the unusual arrangement gives both teams a rare experience, with Afghanistan hosting India on Indian soil for the first time.
The opening T20I is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, with the toss at 6:30 PM IST. The match will be available to stream on FanCode, while Sony Sports will provide television coverage.
India reached New Delhi on Wednesday and have approached the series with considerable seriousness. With the Asian Games in Japan just around the corner, this three-match contest is their final bilateral assignment before the multi-sport event begins on September 19.
The BCCI has opted for a strong squad rather than resting its biggest names. Apart from Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana, Shreyas Iyer has almost the entire core group available, including pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
The decision to field a full-strength squad reflects the importance of the Asian Games campaign. The gold medallists in cricket will secure qualification for the 2028 Olympics, adding considerably more significance to the tournament.
India’s T20I form since their World Cup triumph, however, has been inconsistent. They suffered a 0-2 series defeat in Ireland, lost the series in England and later managed to restore some confidence against Zimbabwe.
The Afghanistan series therefore arrives at an ideal time. Afghanistan have established themselves as a dangerous T20 side, and three matches on the same surface should provide India with valuable preparation ahead of their Asian Games campaign.
INDIA TURN UP THE INTENSITY
India’s preparations have reflected the importance attached to the series.
Bumrah has been bowling at full intensity in the nets, while the top-order batters have spent considerable time working on their game. Newly appointed fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh has also been closely involved with the team’s sessions.
Despite light rain in New Delhi, India have managed two full training sessions along with an optional session, underlining their focus ahead of the opener.
TOP-ORDER SELECTION POSES A MAJOR DILEMMA
India captain Shreyas Iyer faces a welcome but complicated selection problem at the top of the order.
Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and returning wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson are all competing for limited spots. Samson missed the Zimbabwe tour, while Sooryavanshi had his debut delayed during the Ireland and England assignments.
Iyer acknowledged that selecting between the three will not be straightforward.
“All three of them, having them in the team is a luxury first of all, and they are flawless in their own departments. Well, it is going to be a tight call because they have been performing consistently,” Iyer said.
He also stressed the importance of keeping players outside the XI motivated and assured that opportunities would come their way.
The final decision could be revealed only at the toss, although indications suggest Samson and Abhishek could open, with Sooryavanshi potentially being given a rest.
Ishan Kishan’s fitness has added another question mark. Kishan suffered a back sprain during training, although Iyer played down the severity of the issue. If he is unable to keep wickets, Samson could take over behind the stumps.
ALL-ROUNDERS GIVE INDIA PLENTY OF OPTIONS
India also have several choices in the all-rounder department despite the absence of Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana.
Washington Sundar is back to full fitness, while Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel are also available.
Nitish bowled at full pace during Friday’s training session and could be given an extended opportunity because of the balance he offers with both bat and ball.
The spin-bowling all-rounder slot could come down to Axar and Washington. Varun Chakravarthy, returning after an injury layoff, is expected to get the nod ahead of Ravi Bishnoi as the specialist spinner.
Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are likely to lead the pace attack, while Yash Thakur, brought into the squad as Harshit’s replacement, may have to wait for his chance.
AFGHANISTAN EYE FIRST T20I WIN OVER INDIA
Afghanistan enter the series with a full-strength squad and a new captain in Ibrahim Zadran, who will be hoping to end a long-standing unwanted record.
Afghanistan have never defeated India in a T20I.
That could change in New Delhi.
The Afghans have spent considerable time training in the city and will play all three matches on the same pitch, giving them valuable familiarity with the conditions. Naveen-ul-Haq and Gulbadin Naib have also returned from injury, strengthening an already experienced squad.
Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz provide Afghanistan with considerable T20 experience.
India will enter the series as favourites, but Afghanistan know they have an opportunity to rewrite their record against one of the strongest teams in the format.
WHAT THE CAPTAINS SAID
Shreyas Iyer insisted India are focused on the immediate challenge rather than looking too far ahead to the Asian Games.
“We will go game by game. We don’t want to think too far ahead about the Asian Games. We are thinking about the first game. We know Afghanistan are a good team, and our preparation has also been promising over the last couple of days. The players are looking in great shape and have the right mindset. So, we have to stay in the present and make sure we deliver when the time comes.”
Ibrahim Zadran, meanwhile, believes Afghanistan have already shown that they can compete strongly against India.
“Yes, we have played better cricket against India. In 2024, we had two Super Overs against them in the T20 series. And at the ICC event, we have played better cricket against them. As you mentioned, we’ve never beaten them. Hopefully, we’re going to play a good series, win games and win a series against them.”
Zadran added that execution and keeping the game simple would be crucial for Afghanistan.
PREDICTED PLAYING XIs
India: Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq
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