Second T20I match between India and Afghanistan to be held in Delhi; Vibha's chances discussed

The Indian team defeated Afghanistan in the first match of the three-match T20 series, winning by seven wickets. After a confident start, the Indian squad aims to win the second game to gain an advantage in the series.

Young 15-year-old batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who impressed with his powerful batting during the visit to Zimbabwe, did not get a chance to play in the first match against Afghanistan. Before the game, there were active discussions among fans regarding Vaibhav Suryavanshi's participation.

Despite India's comfortable seven-wicket victory, the decision not to include Vaibhav in the starting lineup sparked controversy. Former Indian selector and experienced player Krishnamachari Shrikant sharply criticized this decision by the team management.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Shrikant noted that it was completely unclear why the player, who was the best in the previous match of the series, was suddenly excluded. He joked that when Vaibhav Suryavanshi didn't play yesterday, they started watching movies instead of the match on TV. His wife also expressed dissatisfaction, questioning why the star from the previous match was absent from the team today. He added that if such an ordinary viewer asks this question, one should consider what the player himself is going through.

Shrikant believes that constantly including and excluding a young athlete undermines his confidence. He stated that the team is treating Vaibhav incorrectly. Now, when he steps onto the field for the next match, he will have the fear of being excluded again if he does not score runs.

Shrikant emphasized that this young batsman, who has proven his worth in domestic cricket, India-A, IPL, and international T20, should be given consistent opportunities. Furthermore, he expressed regret over the treatment of Sanju Samson. He noted that Samson is sometimes included in the team and sometimes suddenly excluded, which does not contribute to the stability of any player.

It turned out that Vaibhav Suryavanshi participated in the final match of the Theleef Trophy, a red-ball tournament, just two days before the series against Afghanistan. Because of this, he had fewer opportunities to train with white balls (T20). In the first match, Sanju Samson played in place of him in the opening batting alongside Abhishek Sharma. Although Samson was dismissed after scoring 10 runs, the Indian team achieved the target of 157 runs in just 13.4 overs.

The Indian cricket team is preparing to return to the T20 format following their victory in the Test series against Sri Lanka. The team's focus is now on the upcoming three-match T20 series against Afghanistan, which starts on Sunday, September 13th.

Fans are eagerly anticipating the match, which will take place at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Vaibhavi Suryavanshi is drawing particular interest among fans, as this will be his first appearance in the Indian national team jersey on home soil.

Vaibhavi Suryavanshi has attracted attention due to his aggressive play. During his tour of England and Zimbabwe, the 15-year-old player made a splash, scoring 193 runs in 6 T20 matches with an average strike rate exceeding 189, including two half-centuries against Zimbabwe.

This match in Delhi will mark Vaibhavi Suryavanshi's international debut in the national squad, as he has not previously played in international matches for India on his own country's territory. If Shreyas Iyer gets the opportunity to include him in the starting lineup, Indian fans will see their new superstar in action for the first time.

However, a serious obstacle stands between Vaibhavi's debut and the match—the weather in Delhi. According to AccuWeather forecasts, rain is possible in Delhi on Sunday. Furthermore, it rained on Friday, increasing concerns about the pitch conditions.

Forecasts indicate cloudy skies and light rain in Delhi on September 13th, while other predictions suggest brief showers and thunderstorms. The greatest concern is the potential intensification of rainfall towards the evening.

Regarding head-to-head statistics, India and Afghanistan have met nine times in T20 format, with only one match during the 2023 Asian Games being cancelled due to rain. In all other instances, the Indian team has dominated. The Afghan team is likely to try and improve its record in matches against India that will be held in Delhi.

A three-match T20 series between India and Afghanistan is scheduled to begin on September 13, 2026. An analysis of previous encounters shows a significant advantage for the Indian team.

In total, nine international T20 matches have been played between India and Afghanistan. In these games, the Indian team has won eight times, and one match ended in a tie. Thus, Afghanistan has not managed to secure a single victory against India in T20 format yet.

The first T20 match between these two teams took place on May 1, 2010, on St. Lucia Island in the West Indies, which India won by seven wickets. The last meeting occurred on June 20, 2024, during the T20 World Cup in Bridgetown, Barbados, where India also won by 47 runs.

The Indian men's cricket team has played five T20 matches at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi (formerly Feroz Shah Kotla). In these five matches, India secured four victories and suffered one defeat. It should be noted that Afghanistan played one international T20 match against the UAE this year at Arun Jaitley Stadium as part of the T20 World Cup, which they won by five wickets.

The T20 series between India and Afghanistan starts on September 13, 2026. All three matches are scheduled to be held in New Delhi. Fans' attention will be focused on whether Afghanistan can achieve its first victory against India in T20, or if India will maintain its dominance.

The Indian squad for this series includes Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Yashas Thakur.

Afghanistan's squad for the confrontation with India consists of Ibrahim Jadaran (captain), Rahmanullah Gurgaz (wicketkeeper), Noor Rahman (wicketkeeper), Sedikullah Atla, Darwish Rasuli, Ajmatullah Umarji, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Haroti, Noor Ahmed, Mujib Ur Rahman, Fazlhaq Faruqi, Abdullah Ahmedzai, and Naveen Ul Haq.

The full match schedule is as follows: the first T20 will take place on September 13, 2026, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi; the second T20 on September 15, 2026, also in New Delhi; the third T20 is set for September 17, 2026, in New Delhi.