Here’s the likely playing Xi for the Men in Blue in the first T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, DelhiScroll down to find out the squad.
Published: September 12, 2026, 1:25 PM IST
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Team India’s likely playing XI vs Afghanistan
Team India is ready to begin the T20I series against AfghanistanThe series will begin from Sunday, September 13th to 17thThe matches will be played at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
The first match of the T20I series, will be played on September 12thIt’s going to be interesting to see what players will be a part of the Men in Blue in the first fixtureThere are many stars in the team, like Abhishek Sharam, Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Gambhir faces key selection call as India eye strong start against Afghanistan
It’s going to be a crucial call for the India team head coach, Gautam Gambhir, to pick which stars in the first clash of the T20I series against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Well, it’s time to know what could be Team India’s likely playing XI in the first game of the series against Afghanistan.
If we look closely to the Indian team practice session, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma spent more time as the opening pair in the training sessionAs young star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struggles against top-class player Jasprit Bumrah in the nets.
Bumrah’s return boosts India’s bowling attack
So, according to the situation, Team India are likely to open with their classic players, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju SamsonThere’s a big concern for the Indian team as their star player, Ishan Kishan, suffered a back injury on FridayIf he’s ruled out of the tournament, Team India likely to move with Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson.
Meanwhile, the middle order of the Indian looks completely fine with Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam DubeBut, most of them are struggling for form, which is a major concern for the Men in BlueJasprit Bumrah is back after a break and will help Team India’s bowling attack to perform well in the tense situationHe will be joined by left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh.
The choice of spinner is another major concernStar player Ravi Bishnoi showcased a brilliant performance against Zimbabwe by taking three wickets in three gamesMeanwhile, Varun Chakaravarthy is a more attacking bowler and could make things challenging for the opponents.
India’s likely playing 11: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan/Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
India’s squad against Afghanistan: Shreyas Iyer [C], Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson [WK], Ishan Kishan [WK], Tilak Varma [VC], Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana
