Afghanistan vs India Prediction & Match Preview – 2nd T20I, Delhi

Afghanistan face India in the second T20I of their series in India, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday 15 September.

Afghanistan are captained by Ibrahim Zadran, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz as wicketkeeper. Their bowling is built on spin and experience, with Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman supported by Mohammad Nabi, while Fazalhaq Farooqi leads the quicks and Azmatullah Omarzai offers all-round value.

India are led by Shreyas Iyer. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma head a strong batting order, with Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel adding depth. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy make up the attack.

The quick outfield and short boundaries favour aggressive batting, and dew could make a chase easier. India’s batting depth gives them the advantage if the match becomes high-scoring.

Spinners may find some help if the surface slows in the middle overs, so Afghanistan’s trio of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman could be important in keeping India’s scoring in check. A first-innings total of 185 or more would be a strong score.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

Arun Jaitley Stadium is generally a good white-ball batting surface, with decent bounce and a quick outfield that reward batters once they are in. The shorter boundaries help power-hitters. The pitch can slow as the game wears on, bringing spinners and slower variations into play in the middle and later overs. A strong start can produce a big total, but smart changes of pace can make a real difference.

Weather

Delhi should be warm and humid, partly cloudy, with only a low chance of rain, although an isolated thunderstorm earlier in the day is possible. Humidity may stay moderate to high, and some dew could develop later in the evening. The risk of significant interruption is low.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 175–190
• 2nd innings: 165–180