With India taking the opener, they arrive in the second match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium holding a 1-0 series lead and a chance to seal the contest early.
Match details Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Date: September 15, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM IST
Team overviews
India will be brimming with confidence after taking the first game and will look to close out the series in Delhi. A win in the opener typically settles a batting order and bowling combinations, so Shreyas Iyer’s side may opt for the same core group, with only fitness or workload considerations for the pace unit (Bumrah, Arshdeep, Harshit Rana) likely to prompt any change.
Afghanistan, 0-1 down, will need a response. Ibrahim Zadran’s side has the bowling quality to trouble India regardless of the scoreline, but a defeat in the opener often means changes to the top order or an extra spinner to try and tighten things up in the middle overs. Expect Afghanistan to lean even harder on Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to create pressure, since a loss here would mean the series is gone.
Key players
Jasprit Bumrah: If he was among the difference-makers in the opener, expect Afghanistan’s batters to be even more cautious against him this time, which could open opportunities at the other end for Arshdeep Singh.
Rashid Khan: With his team needing a win to stay alive in the series, Rashid is likely to bowl full quota overs at the most critical phase and will be central to any comeback plan.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: A fearless opener already carrying momentum, another quick start from him would put Afghanistan under scoreboard pressure early and make Rashid and company’s task harder.
Ibrahim Zadran: Facing a must-win match as captain, Zadran will want a substantial score at the top to give his middle order something to bowl at and to steady his side after going 1-0 down.
Head-to-head record
India have never lost a T20I to Afghanistan.
Matches played: 9 (before this series) India wins: 8 Afghanistan wins: 0 No result: 1
With the first match of this series going India’s way, the overall record would extend to 9 wins from 10 meetings.
Pitch report
The same Arun Jaitley Stadium surface should again offer a good, fairly even batting track, though a used pitch from the first match could grip more for spin as the game progresses. Dew under lights remains a factor for the September night games, so a team winning the toss may still lean toward bowling first.
Probable playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Shreyas Iyer (Captain) Tilak Varma Sanju Samson (wk) Shivam Dube Axar Patel Washington Sundar Ravi Bishnoi Arshdeep Singh Jasprit Bumrah
Afghanistan: Sediqullah Atal Ibrahim Zadran (Captain) Darwish Rasooli Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) Mohammad Nabi Gulbadin Naib Azmatullah Omarzai Rashid Khan Noor Ahmad Fazalhaq Farooqi Naveen-ul-Haq
Broadcast India: Sony Sports Network and FanCode. Other territories: not specified in available details.
Match prediction
A team 1-0 up with a squad this deep rarely eases off, and India’s bowling attack, spearheaded by Bumrah, gives them control in all phases of a T20 innings. Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack remains their best route back into the series, and a must-win situation often brings the best out of a side with as much fight as this one, especially with Rashid Khan leading the charge with ball in hand.
Still, India’s greater depth and the psychological edge of a series lead make them favourites to close it out here.
Prediction: India to win the second T20I and seal the series 2-0.
