🏏Afghanistan vs India in India 2026: 3rd T20I in Delhi on 17/09/26🏏

🏏Afghanistan vs India in India 2026: 3rd T20I in Delhi on 17/09/26🏏

India produced two near-identical comprehensive wins inside three days to take an unassailable 2-0 lead whereas "hosts" Afghanistan have been competitive only in patches. In the first game, Azmatullah Omarzai’s 64 kept them alive after a top-order collapse. In the second, Ibrahim Zadran’s 37 and some late fireworks from Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan lifted them to a respectable 159.

Neither total was enough though. India’s top order has made the chase look routine on both occasions with Abhishek Sharma setting the tone in the opener and Sanju Samson’s 22-ball 57 sealing off the series. Their bowling has looked considerably rounded too with Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh returning, while Nitish Kumar Reddy has proved a handy option with the ball too.

Afghanistan's biggest concern is at the top of the order. They are either losing a heap of wickets inside the Powerplay, or it's the high-dot ball consumption that pushes them on the back foot inside the first 30 minutes of play. They've then spent the rest of the game playing catch-up.

A more proactive batting order could help. Omarzai, who rescued them from 43/5, and the likes of Nabi and Rashid, who did the heavy lifting in the second game, could all potentially offer more if they weren't all stacked up outside of the top five. Spreading that experience through the order may give Afghanistan a better chance of avoiding another fatal collapse or stall.

Afghanistan bowling was marginally better in the second game, but India's in-form batting has made Afghanistan's reliance on spinners look one-dimensional. Their spinners have struggled to create enough doubt, with India's batters repeatedly lining them up for expensive overs.

For India, Thursday is an opportunity to step outside their comfort zone. With the series already secured and the Asian Games looming, Shreyas Iyer has spoken about giving those on the bench some game time to acclimatise. India could therefore tweak their combination, perhaps squeezing in another all-rounder or an extra seamer, while also testing their batters in conditions where, frankly, Afghanistan haven't been able to pose too many questions.

After two dominant wins, India have little left to prove in this series. Afghanistan, meanwhile, have one final opportunity to gain some answers, if not all, from a seemingly dead rubber.

When: Thursday, September 17 at 7:30 PM IST

Where: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

What to expect: Clear skies, high humidity and a pitch full of runs if the side batting first can apply themselves.

Toss aside, this third T20I could be a good time for India to test what order Washington Sundar's game is in. Or to give Yash Thakur his third T20I. Or to give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his first international at home, which could make him the youngest from a Full-Member nation to play international cricket in India. More importantly it is a good chance for the team management to play four specialist bowlers and see how the batters react to the lack of a six-hitting option at No. 8. They did try that in all the games in Zimbabwe, but they had a different coach at the helm as the regular head coach Gautam Gambhir was on leave.

AFGHANISTAN

Injuries & Availability: Afghanistan don't have any injury concerns but could consider changing their line-up for the dead rubber ahead per say. They could bring in an extra seamer because spin hasn't traditionally proven very penetrative against India for them.

Tactics & Match-ups: Abhishek Sharma has been dismissed twice by Rashid Khan in six T20 innings, but the left-hander has a strike rate of 237.77 against him. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan legspinner has a more favourable match-up against Shreyas Iyer, having dismissed him thrice (including the previous game), with the batter having an SR of only 120 against him.

Probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (c), Sediqullah Atal, Gulbadin Naib, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman/Naveen-ul-Haq/Abdullah Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi

INDIA

Injuries & Availability: None since Varun Chakaravarthy had been ruled out ahead of Game 2. Shreyas Iyer indicated he might tinker with the line-up for the final game to give some bench players game time to get used to the conditions. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could be one of those getting a look in, and Shivam Dube might make way for an extra bowler.

Tactics & Match-ups: Rahmanullah Gurbaz has an SR of 37.50 against Jasprit Bumrah and 114.28 against Arshdeep Singh - the two bowlers who dismissed him for ducks in his last two innings.

Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk)/Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah

Did you know?

- Abhishek Sharma has a strike rate of 191.27 in overs 1-6 in T20 cricket since 2024. The next best with a 750-ball cut-off is Travis Head (176.85)

- Since 2025, Tilak Varma has an SR of 154.33 against pace in all T20s. Meanwhile, against spin has he an SR of only 116.97

What they said:

"We thought about the things that can help improve that 150-160 [total] to 200-plus. We need to bring that intent... But, this is the second game we have had in this year [since the World Cup seven months ago].

We didn't get any lots of games. As soon as we improve in that area [execution with the bat], I'm pretty sure we will challenge the biggest team." - Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan captain, on where his team fell short

"We want all of them to get used to the wicket and the conditions and also get some practice. So it would be a nice game to give opportunities to the players, especially who have been sitting out, and also change a little bit in the combination as well." - Shreyas Iyer, India captain, on possible changes for the third T20I

Afghanistan will be hoping Naveen-ul-Haq has achieved match fitness as they didn't use Fazalhaq Farooqi with the new ball at all in the second T20I. They know they are outmatched man to man, but their squad of 15 doesn't have any sensational player who is sitting on the bench.

Afghanistan will still rely on the core that represented them in the World Cup, but should consider playing one spinner fewer and promoting Azamtullah Omarzai, who has looked like their best batter. Too often their best players come into the game when the damage has been done be it Omarzai batting at No. 6 or Rashid Khan not bowling in the powerplay. This is a great opportunity for Afghanistan to see what happens when their best players are pushed out of their comfort zones.

It was always going to be a tough assignment for a new captain to lead against India in India even though technically they are the hosts. Ibrahim Zadran took on the first strike in the second T20I after Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored a duck in the first match, but he ended up playing out a maiden, which contributed to another duck for Gurbaz. He has shown glimpses of what makes him the second-best opener in the country, but will desperately want a definitive innings before the series ends.

At his IPL home ground, Axar Patel has quietly had a good series. He has bowled inside the powerplay in both the matches and has been unlucky to not get more than the two wickets that he has got. Two catches have been dropped off his bowling plus he has created more opportunities. Out of the scheme for Tests, he must keep doing well with the white ball especially as India build towards the ODI World Cup next year.

Shreyas Iyer indicated that India could make changes in the final game for players "to get used to the wicket and get some practice". Ideally they should try the extra bowler and bat first not because they have struggled with the ball but to see how batters respond to the alternative combination of less batting depth.