India vs Afghanistan 2026 1st T20 Playing 11 Best Team Preview
With Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Sanju Samson as openers, discover the India vs Afghanistan 2026 1st T20 best playing 11 preview for both teams.
After playing three T20I series under the new captain, Shreyas Iyer, the Indian team is once again back in action in the T20 format as India take on Afghanistan in what is technically an away series, but will be hosted by Afghanistan in New Delhi. The three-match T20I series was added as a filler series ahead of the Asian Games, and could provide valuable game time to players like Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Reddy and Varun Chakravarthy as they return to the squad following their respective injury recoveries.
The defending T20 World Champions, Team India, haven’t had the best of starts after the World Cup under their new captain, Shreyas Iyer. India lost back-to-back T20I series against Ireland and England, with the Zimbabwe series finally bringing Shreyas Iyer back to winning ways. However, the Indian team now faces a much stronger unit in Afghanistan, who are well known for their quality bowling attack.
Historically, India have had a really good record against Afghanistan in T20 internationals. India have played nine T20Is against Afghanistan between 2010 and 2024, winning seven and tying one. So, India are yet to lose a T20 international against Afghanistan, which shows that India, going into this series, will be high on confidence. However, the recent series losses against Ireland and England will also be on the minds of Team India.
Key Match Details
Tournament: Afghanistan vs India 2026
Match Details: 1st T20I Match
Where: New Delhi
When: September 13, 7 pm IST
The first T20 international between India and Afghanistan will be played on September 13 in New Delhi. The second T20I will be played on September 15, followed by the third and final T20I on September 17. With the official squads for both teams now confirmed, let us analyze the current squad lists and look at the India vs Afghanistan 2026 first T20I best predicted playing eleven for both teams.
India vs Afghanistan 2026 T20 Series Official Squad List for Indian Team
Batters
- Abhishek Sharma
- Shreyas Iyer (c)
- Tilak Varma (vc)
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Wicket-keepers
- Ishan Kishan
- Sanju Samson
All-rounders
- Axar Patel
- Nitish Reddy
- Shivam Dube
- Washington Sundar
Bowlers
- Arshdeep Singh
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Yash Thakur
- Varun Chakravarthy
India vs Afghanistan 2026 1st T20 Playing 11 Explained
Let us start with the first and most important question: who opens for Team India? In the very last series, Sanju Samson was dropped from the squad, with Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma opening the innings. Vaibhav Suryavanshi did really well in that series, but Abhishek Sharma was a complete flop, failing in all three innings. In the previous two series, Sanju Samson struggled while Abhishek Sharma was in very decent form.
So, with Sanju Samson returning to the squad, it looks like he could open the innings alongside Vaibhav Suryavanshi, with Abhishek Sharma potentially having to sit out for this particular series. With the opening combination conundrum now solved, the middle order seems fairly settled, with Ishan Kishan at three, Shreyas Iyer at four and Tilak Varma at five. Coming to the finisher department, Hardik Pandya is not in the squad. So, in place of Hardik Pandya, we should see Shivam Dube, Nitish Reddy and Axar Patel as the three all-rounders in the squad, thus giving India strong batting depth till number eight.
Talking about the bowling combination, Jasprit Bumrah is back in the squad, so he should lead the pace department, with Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube and Nitish Reddy supporting him. Similarly, Varun Chakravarthy is back in the squad, so he should lead the spin department, with Axar Patel as the second spinner in the squad. So, overall, India will have six bowling options, which gives them a fairly good arsenal to take on Afghanistan.
India vs Afghanistan 2026 1st T20 Best Predicted Playing 11
- Sanju Samson
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi
- Ishan Kishan (wk)
- Shreyas Iyer (c)
- Tilak Varma
- Shivam Dube
- Axar Patel
- Nitish Reddy
- Arshdeep Singh
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Varun Chakravarthy
India vs Afghanistan 2026 T20 Series Official Squad List for Afghanistan
Batters
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Sediqullah Atal
- Darwish Rasooli
- Ibrahim Zadran (c)
- Noor ul Rahman
Wicket-keepers
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
All-rounders
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Gulbadin Naib
- Mohammad Nabi
- Nangeyalia Kharote
Bowlers
- Rashid Khan
- Noor Ahmad
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Abdullah Ahmadzai
- Naveen-ul-Haq
Reserves
- Ijaz Ahmadzai
- Shahidullah Kamal
- Fareed Ahmad Malik
India vs Afghanistan 2026 1st T20I Best Predicted Playing 11
- Ibrahim Zadran (c)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Sediqullah Atal
- Darwish Rasooli
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Mohammad Nabi
- Gulbadin Naib
- Rashid Khan
- Noor Ahmad
- Mujeeb ur Rahman
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
Talking about the Afghanistan playing XI, Ibrahim Zadran should continue to lead the side and open the innings alongside Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who will also take up the wicketkeeping duties. Sediqullah Atal and Darwish Rasooli can add stability to the middle order, while Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib provide the team with strong all-round options. Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad will be the two key spinners, with Mujeeb ur Rahman adding another spin option to the attack. Fazalhaq Farooqi will lead the pace department, giving Afghanistan a well-balanced bowling attack to take on India.
So, that’s about the India vs Afghanistan first T20I 2026 best predicted playing XI for both teams. It’s going to be a very important series for Team India, as the recent series losses will be in the back of their minds, and given the champions they are, they would like to get back to winning ways. The positive thing is that, unlike the last three series, India will be going in with a very strong bowling attack, which was a major problem in those series. It will also be a good opportunity for Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Sanju Samson to confirm their places in the opening slot ahead of the Asian Games 2026.
Also Read: Asian Games 2026: Strongest Playing 11 for Team India Revealed
Looking at the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20 playing 11 2026, what do you think are India’s chances of winning the series? Please email us your thoughts.
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