Choosing to field first after winning the toss, India sent Afghanistan in to bat in the opening T20I at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on September 13. The Men in Blue made notable changes to their lineup, leaving out teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and all-rounder Washington Sundar while handing Sanju Samson a spot in the starting XI.
No Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in IND playing XI for series opener vs AFG
Explaining his decision at the toss, Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer pointed to local conditions, noting that the Delhi surface traditionally favors teams chasing. He added that the squad aims to build on the positive momentum built during their previous tour of Zimbabwe, highlighting Jasprit Bumrah’s key role as a match-winner while confirming the squad rotations that kept Sooryavanshi and Sundar on the bench.
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Despite losing the toss, Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran maintained an upbeat outlook, acknowledging that while his side also preferred to field first, they were ready to set a competitive target. Expressing his excitement about facing India in a home-away-from-home setting, Zadran voiced his appreciation for the strong crowd support and hoped the energy from the fans would propel his team to a successful series.
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The decision to leave Sooryavanshi out of the lineup for the series opener against Afghanistan stems from an ongoing selection battle with Sanju Samson for the opening slot next to Abhishek Sharma. Samson initially held the role during the UK tour across the series in Ireland and England. However, after three quiet outings, he made way for Sooryavanshi, who stepped up to make a high-profile international debut. Though the teenager featured in three fixtures in England, he struggled to convert his starts into major scores, which prompted the team management to bring Samson back for the final match once the series outcome was already decided.
The dynamic shifted again for the subsequent Zimbabwe tour, where Samson was omitted from the squad entirely—amid conflicting reports over whether he was rested or dropped—despite retaining his place in the upcoming Asian Games roster. Meanwhile, Sooryavanshi kept pushing his case with a stellar Duleep Trophy campaign, piling up 192 runs across three matches. However, with the Afghanistan series serving as the final tune-up before the major multi-nation tournament in Japan, the team hierarchy appears to be leaning back toward experience and established combinations for the top order.
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, Varun Chakaravarthy
Afghanistan's playing XI:
Ibrahim Zadran(c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi