India Opts to Bowl First in T20I Series Against Afghanistan

Match Overview

In the opening T20I of the three-match series against Afghanistan, India won the toss and chose to field first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday. The Indian squad sees the return of star bowler Jasprit Bumrah, marking his first T20I appearance since the IPL 2026. Meanwhile, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been left out, making way for wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, despite Sooryavanshi's commendable performances in the recent T20I series against Zimbabwe. It's important to note that this series is technically an away series for India, as Afghanistan is recognized as the home team, even though the matches are being held in Delhi.

Toss Insights

After winning the toss, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer expressed confidence in bowling first, referencing the pitch conditions in Delhi that typically favor teams that bowl initially. He emphasized the positive outcomes from the Zimbabwe series and expressed faith in Bumrah's capabilities as a game-changer. Iyer stated, "We are going to bowl first. Whenever you come to Delhi, you know what the pitch has got to offer; it usually is a bowl-first wicket. We had a lot of positives in Zimbabwe; we will try and continue on that. We know Bumrah is a match-winner. Vaibhav is not playing, Washington is not playing, and two more."

Afghanistan's Perspective

Afghanistan's captain Ibrahim Zadran mentioned that they would have preferred to bowl first as well but are now focused on setting a competitive total. He expressed excitement about hosting India in Delhi, thanking the fans for their support and aiming for a successful series. Zadran remarked, "We would have bowled first too. So we will think about batting and look to put up a good total. It is a great feeling to host India in India. We are trying to have a good series against them. We have got lots of support from our friends, and hopefully they come and give us the energy. Naveen is not playing; we will think about him in the next games."

Playing XI

The playing elevens for the first T20I are as follows:

India: Sanju Samson (w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.