Last Updated on 2 months ago by Charbel Coorey

Afghanistan will meet Canada in the 39th match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Both sides are already out of the Super 8 race, and are playing for pride. MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, will host this game on 39th February 2026 at 7 PM IST. 

Afghanistan’s campaign this tournament has been disappointing. They lost to New Zealand by five wickets in their first game and then suffered a heartbreaking double Super Over loss to South Africa.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been in strong form, while Ibrahim Zadran scored a fifty in the last game. Azmatullah Omarzai and Darwish Rasooli have also shown glimpses of form, but they’ve lacked consistency. 

Bowling-wise too, the likes of Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Mohammed Nabi have had a disappointing tournament. Azmatullah Omarzai (8 wickets), Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb ur Rahman (4 wickets each) have been the standouts.

Canada lost to New Zealand by eight wickets in their last game. Yuvraj Samra scored an excellent century (110 runs) which is a great sign in their quest for a win here. Dilpreet Bajwa, Navneet Dhaliwal, and Nicholas Kirton are the other key batters for Canada. 

Dilon Heyliger and Saad Bin Zafar are the key bowlers. They’ll have to be at their best as a side if they are to defeat Afghanistan.

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 39th Match: AFG vs CAN Probable Playing XIs

Afghanistan: 1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2. Ibrahim Zadran, 3. Gulbadin Naib, 4. Sediqullah Atal, 5. Darwish Rasooli, 6. Azmatullah Omarzai, 7. Mohammad Nabi, 8. Rashid Khan (c), 9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10. Noor Ahmad, 11. Ziaur Rahman

Canada: 1. Yuvraj Samra, 2. Dilpreet Bajwa (c), 3. Navneet Dhaliwal, 4. Nicholas Kirton, 5. Shiva Moova (wk), 6. Harsh Thaker, 7. Jaskaran Singh, 8. Saad Bin Zafar, 9. Dilon Heyliger, 10. Kaleem Sana, 11. Shivam Sharma

MA Chidambaram Stadium Chepauk Chennai Pitch Report and Weather

The pitch at Chepauk has been an excellent one for batting in the tournament so far. The average first innings score in the tournament so far is 184 runs. The hard wicket offers good bounce, and the batters can play their shots trusting the wicket. There hasn’t been any help off the deck for the spinners until now.

Teams are expected to prefer chasing if they win the toss as dew will be a factor in the latter half of this game. 

A bright sunny day with the temperature being around 25 degrees Celsius at the start of the game. It will be very humid with 75% humidity.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for AFG vs CAN: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top Wicket-Keeper Picks:  

• Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been in good form. He played an excellent innings against South Africa (84 runs) and has a total of 111 runs at an average of 37 and strike rate of 168.18. He will be a good C/VC option.

Key batter picks: 

• Ibrahim Zadran has 75 runs in three innings. He scored 53 in the last game and will be an important batter for Afghanistan at the top. Try him as C/VC in some of your teams. 
• Yuvraj Samra played a stylish knock of 110 runs in 65 deliveries in the last game. He likes to bat aggressively and take on the bowlers.

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Azmatullah Omarzai has been hitting boundaries and sixes for fun with the bat and has bowled well for his eight wickets at a strike rate of 8.8. He will contribute with both bat and ball, which makes him an ideal C/VC choice.
• Harsh Thaker is a utility player for Canada. He can hit the ball batting at the middle order and is handy with the ball too. He has 86 runs at an average of 43, including a fifty. 
• Saad Bin Zafar is the lead spinner for Canada, and he can contribute with the bat too. He has four wickets in three games at a strike rate of 15 and an economy of 8.10. 
• Gulbadin Naib is batting at three and bowling 2-3 overs in every game for Afghanistan. He has looked out of touch with the bat, but he can score big on his day. Naib scored a fifty in the last game.

Key bowler picks: 

• Rashid Khan has four wickets in three matches so far. He’s a champion player and a proven match-winner, but his form in the last 8-10 months has gone down. But don’t doubt him, and he’s a must-pick for this match. Rashid will be an excellent C/VC choice too.
• Mujeeb ur Rahman has also picked up four wickets so far. He can bowl in any phase of the game, and he can cause problems for the Canadian batting unit. Try him as C/VC in some of your teams.

Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Ansh Patel
• Navneet Dhaliwal
• Dilon Heyliger
• Nicholas Kirton

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 39th Match: AFG vs CAN Dream11 Prediction Today

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 39th Match: AFG vs CAN Match Prediction: Who will win?

Canada has shown promise as a team in this tournament, but they need more consistency and effort from their batting unit. Afghanistan, on the other hand, has many match-winners in their ranks who will be eager to register their second win of the tournament.

Afghanistan to win.

Disclaimer: The fantasy cricket stats, tips and predictions provided on CricBlog are intended for informational purposes for Dream11 free contests in line with the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The stats and writer’s views are in place to guide fans in creating their teams. While we strive to offer accurate and insightful advice, CricBlog does not guarantee success or winnings in any fantasy contests. Users are encouraged to make their own informed decisions and play responsibly.

All statistics and matchups in this article have been verified by ESPNcricinfo, and Cricmetric.