IND vs AFG, 2nd T20I: India opt to bowl first against Afghanistan, Ravi Bishnoi replaces Chakaravarthy; Know playing XIs

India won the toss and elected to bowl first against Afghanistan in the second T20I, being played at the New Delhi's Arun Jaitley stadium on September 15.

Ravi Bishnoi replaces Varun Chakaravarthy in IND vs AFG 2nd T20I

India made one forced change to their playing XI as Ravi Bishnoi walked in in place of injured Varun Chakaravarthy, who has been ruled out of the remainder of series due to side strain. Meanwhile, 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to sit out of India's final XI as Sanju Samson retains his spot despite silent show in the series opener.

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What did the captains say at the toss?

Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer cited tactical clarity for his decision to bowl, noting that chasing offers the bowling attack a clearer understanding of the pitch behavior. While reflecting on their previous victory, Iyer admitted the team fell short of a dominant win by letting middle-order wickets slip away, before confirming Bishnoi's inclusion for the injured Chakaravarthy.

On the other hand, Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran admitted he also favored chasing, but stressed the need for his team to build on their middle-overs recovery from the series opener and maintain an aggressive mindset while fielding an unchanged side.

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Pitch Report

The surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium presented a mix of surface dryness and underlying moisture, appearing slightly firmer than the pitch used in the previous fixture. With short boundaries in play on an otherwise batting-friendly track, India secured a distinct advantage by winning the toss and sending Afghanistan in to set a total.

India are already leading the series 1-0, having won the first T20I against Afghanistan by seven wickets.

India's Playing XI:

Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi

Afghanistan's Playing XI:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran(c), Sediqullah Atal, Gulbadin Naib, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi