New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS): With the series already secured, India will look to use the third and final T20I against Afghanistan as an opportunity to fine-tune their squad ahead of the Asian Games, with the Arun Jaitley Stadium set to host the contest on Thursday.
The match comes after India produced virtually identical seven-wicket victories in the opening two games. They successfully chased targets of 157 and 160, respectively, leaving Afghanistan with little to show despite moments of individual brilliance.
The second T20I followed a familiar pattern. Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a second straight duck before Ibrahim Zadran’s 37 provided Afghanistan with some stability. Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan then added 48 for the sixth wicket, helping their side reach 159/8. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Arshdeep Singh claimed five wickets between them.
India’s response was largely comfortable, with Sanju Samson’s 57, Abhishek Sharma’s 39 and Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 38 guiding the hosts home.
The result leaves India with a selection decision for the finale. Shreyas Iyer indicated after Tuesday’s win that changes could be made, particularly with the team due to travel to Japan for the Asian Games, which begin on September 19. That could open the door for players who have remained on the sidelines, including teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Sooryavanshi, the Player of the Series in India’s recent Zimbabwe T20I campaign, has not featured in this series. Samson, meanwhile, returned after being rested in Zimbabwe and has responded with form, while Abhishek has also contributed at the top. With both being established one-format players, breaking up the opening combination may not be an automatic decision.
Ravi Bishnoi is expected to retain his place after coming in for the injured Varun Chakravarthy. Afghanistan could also consider a pace change, with Naveen-ul-Haq having yet to feature despite being fit. Fazalhaq Farooqi, meanwhile, has gone wicketless in the series.
The Delhi conditions could again favour the batters, with short boundaries potentially encouraging another high-scoring encounter. Thunderstorms are forecast, with around 75 per cent cloud cover expected, making conditions worth monitoring before the start.
For India, the final game is less about the series result and more about determining who can make an impact before the Asian Games assignment begins. For Afghanistan, it offers one last chance to disrupt an otherwise one-sided contest.
When: Thursday, September 17, 7:30 PM IST
Where: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
Where to watch: The match will be shown live on Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD channels. Live-streaming will be available on the FanCode app and website.
Squads:
India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Yash Thakur
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Noor Rahman (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Naveen-ul-Haq.
