Afghanistan will take on India in the third and final T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday, September 17, with India already holding an unassailable 2-0 lead. The hosts won the opening match by seven wickets before producing another seven-wicket victory in the second game.
Afghanistan now have one final opportunity to finish the series with a victory. India, meanwhile, will look to complete a clean sweep after controlling both matches with the ball and chasing down their targets comfortably.
Match details
| Match | Afghanistan vs India, 3rd T20I |
|---|---|
| Series | Afghanistan vs India 2026 |
| Date | Thursday, September 17, 2026 |
| Time | 7:00 PM IST |
| Venue | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi |
| Format | T20I |
| Series score | India lead 2-0 |
All three matches in the series are being played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Team overviews
Afghanistan have struggled to match India’s intensity during the first two matches. Their batting has failed to maintain momentum through the middle overs, while India’s bowlers have regularly created pressure and taken wickets at important stages.
India sealed the series in the second T20I after restricting Afghanistan to 159/8 before chasing the target with seven wickets and 31 balls remaining. Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with 37, while Darwish Rasooli made 26, but Afghanistan could not build a sufficiently strong total.
Ibrahim Zadran leads Afghanistan in his first series as the team’s full-time T20I captain. The squad also includes experienced players such as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai. Naveen-ul-Haq has returned after recovering from a shoulder injury.
India have been clinical throughout the series. Shreyas Iyer leads the side, while Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube form a strong batting group. Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh lead the pace attack, with Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi providing spin options.
Key players
Abhishek Sharma: Abhishek has been one of India’s most dangerous batters during the series. His aggressive approach at the top of the order allows India to build momentum quickly during the powerplay.
Arshdeep Singh: Arshdeep has been among India’s leading wicket-takers in the series. His ability to swing the new ball and bowl effectively at the death makes him a major threat to Afghanistan’s batting lineup.
Ibrahim Zadran: Afghanistan’s captain will need to lead from the front in the final match. His ability to build an innings will be important if Afghanistan are to post a competitive total.
Rashid Khan: Rashid remains Afghanistan’s biggest threat with the ball. India have handled the spin attack well so far, but the leg-spinner can still influence the match if he finds consistency through the middle overs.
Head-to-head record
India have dominated the T20I rivalry between the two teams.
- Matches played: 11
- India wins: 9
- Afghanistan wins: 0
- Ties: 1
- No result: 1
The tied match came during the 2024 T20I series, when India won the Super Over.
Pitch report
The Arun Jaitley Stadium has produced good batting conditions during the first two matches of the series. The short boundaries can allow established batters to score quickly, while the relatively fast outfield rewards clean striking.
Afghanistan’s bowlers will need to make better use of the powerplay and middle overs if they want to restrict India’s scoring. India’s attack, meanwhile, has shown that disciplined bowling can still create opportunities on the Delhi surface.
A competitive first-innings score should give the bowling side something to defend, but India’s batting depth makes even a sizeable target difficult to protect.
Probable match scenarios
Scenario 1: Afghanistan bat first
Afghanistan will need a strong start from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran before their middle order takes over. Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai could then provide late acceleration.
Scenario 2: India bat first
India will look to attack from the opening overs through Abhishek Sharma and their top order. Afghanistan’s spinners will have to take wickets rather than simply contain the scoring rate if they want to keep India under pressure.
Probable playing XIs
Afghanistan
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicketkeeper)
- Ibrahim Zadran (Captain)
- Sediqullah Atal
- Gulbadin Naib
- Darwish Rasooli
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Mohammad Nabi
- Rashid Khan
- Noor Ahmad
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Naveen-ul-Haq
India
- Abhishek Sharma
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper)
- Shreyas Iyer (Captain)
- Tilak Varma
- Ishan Kishan
- Shivam Dube
- Axar Patel
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Arshdeep Singh
India’s officially announced squad also includes Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Yash Thakur. Harshit Rana was replaced by Yash Thakur before the series, while the final XI will be confirmed at the toss.
Live streaming and broadcast
India: Sony Sports Network holds the television rights for the three-match T20I series.
Streaming: FanCode is listed among the digital streaming platforms for the series.
Afghanistan: Viewers should check local broadcasters and the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s official channels for regional coverage.
Match prediction
India have controlled both matches and enter the final game with considerable momentum. Their bowling attack has repeatedly restricted Afghanistan before the batting lineup finished the chases with plenty of overs remaining.
Afghanistan need a major improvement from their top and middle order. Their bowling attack contains enough quality to trouble India, particularly through Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Naveen-ul-Haq, but they need to put a substantially better total on the board first.
With the series already decided, India may also use the final match to assess some squad options, but their overall combination has performed strongly throughout the contest.
Prediction: India to win the third T20I and complete a 3-0 series sweep.
