Opting to field after winning the toss, Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran sent India in to bat in the third and final T20I at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium on September 17. Looking to avoid a series whitewash, Afghanistan adjusted their XI by bringing in Abdullah Ahmadzai and Noor ul Rahman for Gulbadin Naib and Noor Ahmad. India made a single change to their lineup for the series dead rubber, resting Arshdeep Singh to give Yash Thakur an opportunity, while young talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi remained on the bench.
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What did the captains say at the toss?
Relieved to finally win a toss after missing out in the previous two games, Zadran noted that the pitch appeared friendly to seamers and expressed confidence in his bowling unit’s ability to keep the hosts in check. Despite the series already being lost, the Afghan captain stressed the importance of addressing past mistakes and keeping their game plan simple against a well-rounded Indian side, aiming to wrap up the tour with a morale-boosting victory.
Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer was unbothered by the toss outcome, revealing he intended to bat first anyway and welcomed the opportunity to set a total. Addressing any risk of taking the dead rubber lightly, Iyer highlighted the need for his side to stay adaptable and trust their instincts without overcomplicating their approach, framing the batting-first scenario as an exciting challenge for his squad.
India vs Afghanistan's head-to-head in T20Is
In their head-to-head T20I history, India have firmly dominated the rivalry against Afghanistan across 11 encounters. The Men in Blue have secured 10 victories, while the Afghan side is still searching for its first T20 win against India. A single match between the two teams ended in a no-result.
India's Playing XI:
Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah
Afghanistan's Playing XI:
Ibrahim Zadran(c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Darwish Rasooli, Noor ul Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi