AFG vs IND: India will begin their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, with the reigning T20 world champions looking to put their recent struggles behind them.
India's opening combination remains a key talking point heading into the next contest. Abhishek Sharma has failed to make a significant impact with the bat in recent outings, while Sanju Samson's position is increasingly under scrutiny. The rise of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gives the team another option at the top, but Ishan Kishan's impressive form has strengthened his claim for the No. 3 spot and added another dimension to India's batting order.
Kishan's commanding 270 in the Duleep Trophy final has further underlined his resurgence since returning
to the national fold. With his bat consistently delivering, the in-form batter is making an increasingly strong case for a permanent place in the playing XI, leaving the team management with a tough selection call.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan will be determined to conquer their final frontier by securing their first-ever victory over India, the only team they are yet to defeat in international cricket. Their spin department remains one of their biggest strengths, with several of their players having extensive T20 experience around the world.
Post the series, the action will shift to Nagoya, where both India and Afghanistan will play in the Asian Games.
AFG vs IND: India Team News
There are no major injury concerns for the men in blue heading into the game. Ishan Kishan suffered a minor niggle during the pre-match practice. However, during the pre-match press conference, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer hinted that the injury is minor and that Kishan will be fit in time for the game.
"Ishan, I feel that he is comfortable at the moment. I interacted with him after the practice session; it was just a small niggle. He has been playing continuous cricket; we all know the knock he played, so definitely a bit fatigued, but today he got that rest, and I am sure that he will be fine for tomorrow," Iyer added.
AFG vs IND: India's Predicted XI
Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur
AFG vs IND: Afghanistan's Predicted XI
Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (c), Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq.
