Last Updated on 32 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
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After playing a Test and ODI series earlier this year, India and Afghanistan meet again, this time in a T20 series.
It has been quite the year for India in T20Is. They won the World Cup in March, before losing six consecutive completed T20Is in Ireland and England under new captain Shreyas Iyer. The 3-0 series win in Zimbabwe was welcome relief, but they need to be on their toes at home against a capable team.
Afghanistan will play their first T20I since the World Cup. Ibrahim Zadran will now lead a team that has the task of keeping the Indian batsmen as quiet as possible, while ensuring they produce enough impact with the bat. The Afghans are seeking their first win over India in T20Is – will this be the day?
IND vs AFG 1st T20 2026 Possible Playing XIs: Samson, Sooryavanshi, or both?
A key question for India is who opens. The Sanju Samson-Vaibhav Sooryavanshi debate was rife during the England tour earlier this year.
Samson was left out of the squad for the Zimbabwe tour soon after; a series where Sooryavanshi won player of the series.
India: 1. Abhishek Sharma, 2. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 3. Ishan Kishan (wk), 4. Shreyas Iyer (c), 5. Tilak Varma, 6. Shivam Dube, 7. Axar Patel, 8. Washington Sundar/Nitish Kumar Reddy, 9. Jasprit Bumrah, 10. Arshdeep Singh, 11. Varun Chakravarthy
Afghanistan could look to play Gulbadin Naib up the order for batting impact.
Afghanistan: 1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2. Ibrahim Zadran (c), 3. Sediqullah Atal, 4. Gulbadin Naib, 5. Azmatullah Omarzai, 6. Darwish Rasooli, 7. Mohammad Nabi, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman/Noor Ahmad, 10. Naveen-ul-Haq/Abdollah Ahmadzai, 11. Fazalhaq Farooqi
Arun Jaitley Stadium Delhi Pitch Report and Weather: Left-arm spin to play a key role?
The average first innings score at Delhi in IPL 2026 was 171.57. The chasing team dominated, winning six of the seven matches. Expect the captain who wins the toss to chase.
Left-arm orthodox was the most economical bowling type during IPL 2026, conceding around 7.25 per over. Legbreak bowlers conceded 8.25 per over at an average above 40, while fast bowlers conceded closer to nine per over also at an average above 40. Offbreak bowlers averaged over 70 with an economy over nine.
A very hot and humid evening is forecast in Delhi which makes dew a factor in the second innings.
Fantasy Cricket Tips for ZIM vs IND 1st T20I: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to announce himself on home international debut?
Top wicket-keeper picks:
- Ishan Kishan has smashed 1,414 runs in all T20s this year at an average of 37.2 and strike rate of 179.2.
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz is key for Afghanistan. He has one fifty in six T20Is against India, averaging just 19.50. He comes into this series with recent scores of 54, 39 and 18 in the Caribbean Premier League.
Key batter picks:
- Abhishek Sharma has a strike rate of 206.5 in seven T20s at Delhi (223 runs, avg. 44.6). He is striking at 195.1 in all T20s this year.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can take the game away from Afghanistan in a flash. The young sensation has smashed 969 T20 runs in 2026 at an average of 44 and strike rate of 225.9. A leading Dream11 captaincy candidate.
Top all-rounder picks:
- Azamatullah Omarzai will have a key role to play with the new ball against India’s strong top order. Can he improve on his poor record in T20Is against India? In five matches to date, the all-rounder has 58 runs and two wickets to his name.
- Axar Patel has 30 wickets in 36 T20s in T20s at Delhi, where he concedes just 7.12 per over. He also has 644 runs at an average of 29.3 and strike rate of 138.2.
Key bowler picks:
- Jasprit Bumrah is back and will be looking to make an immediate impact. He has four wickets in two T20Is against Afghanistan at an average of 8.00.
- Rashid Khan has 14 wickets in 11 T20s at Delhi, including 3/17 in IPL 2026. He can also contribute with the bat down the order, making Rashid a handy fantasy pick.
Other Players to consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams
- Varun Chakravarthy.
- Ibrahim Zadran.
- Shreyas Iyer.
- Arshdeep Singh.
- Shivam Dube.
- Gulbadin Naib.
Other Stats, Facts and Important Matchups
- Head-to-head: Matches 9, India 8, Afghanistan 0, N/R 1.
- Ishan Kishan in all T20s at Delhi: 8 inns, 228 runs, avg. 28.5, SR 145.2.
- Axar Patel in T20Is vs. Afghanistan: 4 inns, 5 wickets, avg. 15.80, econ. 5.26.
- Fazalhaq Farooqi vs. Abhishek Sharma in all T20s: 10 balls, 24 runs, no wickets.
- Arshdeep Singh vs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz in all T20s: 32 balls, 40 runs, no wickets.
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IND vs AFG 1st T20 2026 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:
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