India defeated Afghanistan in the second T20I on September 15 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi by seven wickets, clinching the three-match series 2-0 with
an unassailable lead.
The victory set up a dead-rubber third match scheduled for September 17 at the same venue. Sanju Samson played a significant role, scoring 57 runs from 22 balls in the second T20I. This was a much-needed knock from him after appearing in both the first and second matches of the series.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, retained in the Indian squad for the Afghanistan series, has not featured in either of the first two T20Is. India captain Shreyas Iyer addressed the possibility of changes for the final match.
"Definitely, we want all of them to get used to the wicket and get some practice, so it will be a good opportunity to give a chance to the guys sitting out," Iyer said during his post-match press conference following the second T20I victory.
Iyer hints at opportunities for benched players in dead-rubber third T20I
The captain's comments indicate that Sooryavanshi could be in line for a chance in the third T20I. The young batter made his T20I debut against England in July 2026 and has been included in the squad for this Afghanistan series. With the series already decided, the third match presents an ideal opportunity for the team to give match practice to squad members who had remained on the sidelines.
India chose experience in the opening game, with Samson selected instead of Sooryavanshi, but the dead-rubber fixture offers a chance to rotate the squad and assess other options. Iyer's statement reflected the team's intention to use the final match for development and preparation ahead of future assignments.
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Iyer was particularly impressed by how comprehensively his team won the second T20I. He spoke about how satisfied he was with the team's performance.
"Looking at the last match and coming into this one, we were demanding a comprehensive win and today was a good one," Iyer added.
