AFG vs IND 2nd T20I: Sooryavanshi may have to wait for India to look for another trip to Delhi

In familiar conditions, India produced a near-perfect performance against Afghanistan in the first of the three-match T20I series in Delhi on Sunday. It was a much-needed confidence boost for the Men in Blue, who fielded a full squad for the first time since the T20 World Cup with the Asian Games just weeks away.

The second T20I between Afghanistan and India will be played from 19:30 IST on Tuesday. Sony Liv will provide the TV coverage while FanCode will offer live streaming of the match in India.

After restricting Afghanistan to 156 in 20 overs, India rode on Abhishek Sharma’s brilliant 32-ball 82 to chase down the target in just 13.4 overs and seal a seven-wicket victory.

Apart from the fifth bowling option shared by Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube, India were in cruise control throughout the contest.

Afghanistan have very little time to turn around, with the second T20I being played at the same venue on Tuesday. Ahead of the series, Afghanistan saw an opportunity in their familiarity with the conditions and hoped it would contribute to their bid to beat India for the first time in the T20I series. However, the conditions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, which is Afghanistan’s designated home ground for the series, did not help their cause much in the opener.

Afghanistan’s biggest strength, their spin-bowling group led by Rashid Khan, was undone as the foursome of Rashid, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmed and Mujeeb Ur Rahman found very little help from the surface. Abhishek in particular was tough against the spinners as he smashed 46 runs off 20 balls against them.

Afghanistan could continue to struggle if conditions remain similar. They have Naveen-ul-Haq back from injury to add to their bowling firepower. However, it remains to be seen how much he can bring to the table as he has not played competitive cricket since December 2025.

TEAM NEWS: WHY SOORYAVANSHI MUST WAIT

The headache of picking India at the top will persist. Sanju Samson failed to capitalize on the opportunity in the series opener and was taken for 10 even as Abhishek finished nine innings without a fifty.

The man waiting on the bench, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, will be hard to resist if Samson fails to score again on Tuesday. Social media is already buzzing with former cricketers Mohammad Kaif and Kris Srikkanth questioning the way Sooryavanshi was treated by the Gautam Gambhir-led team management. Photo: PTI

While the 15-year-old had to wait for his opportunity during the tours of Ireland and England, he was now after three consistent matches on the tour of Zimbabwe, a T20I series for which Samson was not selected.

“They are not sure about their best opening combination. The Indian team is still thinking about their openers. Vaibhav must have felt bad because he did nothing wrong. This could lead to confusion, which is not good for any team,” Kaif told Cricbuzz after the series began.

India could stick with the same opening combination and give Samson another chance before considering a change.

On the bowling front, Varun Chakravarthy has reportedly been ruled out for the rest of the series. He went 1 for 19 in his four-hit spell on Sunday and even spoke to reporters in the post-match press conference. However, it was revealed on Monday night that the premiership spinner had picked up another injury.

It’s a worrying development for India as the Kolkata Knight Riders spinner has just returned to the team after recovering from an injury he picked up during the England tour. Photo: AFP

India will have to play Ravi Bishnoi in his place unless the team management prefers batting all-rounder Washington Sundar at number eight.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, will be looking to avoid hitting the panic button after a single defeat. However, their spin-bowling group is unlikely to be as effective on a flat Delhi pitch. Bringing in Naveen-ul-Haq is one option, but coach Richard Pybus was pragmatic about the need to get used to the conditions and bolster the core group that featured in the series opener.

AFG vs IND, 2ND T20I PLAYING XI

India: Sanju Samson (week), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (capt), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmed, Fazoqihaq Far.

DELHI WEATHER: CHANCE OF RAIN TODAY?

Delhi is expected to remain mostly clear on Tuesday as well, although it may overcast in the afternoon. The wet weather is expected to stay away during the match, which starts at 7.30 pm, allowing for a full match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

15 Sep 2026 08:45 IST