Afghanistan vs India Prediction & Match Preview – 3rd T20I, Delhi

Afghanistan and India play the third T20I of their series in India at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday 17 September.

Afghanistan are captained by Ibrahim Zadran, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz keeping wicket and Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi bringing spin and experience. Fazalhaq Farooqi leads the pace group, with a place for either Mujeeb Ur Rahman or Naveen-ul-Haq likely.

India, led by Shreyas Iyer, are expected to open with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, followed by Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel give the middle order depth, while Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi are in the bowling line-up.

Good stroke-making is expected once batters settle, spin may help in the middle overs, and strong hitting at the death could yield 45–55 runs. Dew could aid a chase later in the evening, which is why our preview sees a slight advantage for the team batting second. Even so, a total of 180 or more batting first would be strong and 190 or more very competitive.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

Arun Jaitley Stadium usually gives batters decent bounce and a fast outfield in white-ball cricket, and the shorter boundaries suit power-hitting. The surface can slow as the game progresses, giving spinners and slower-ball bowlers a role in the middle and later overs. It is a batting-friendly venue where a good start can lead to a big total.

Weather

The evening is forecast to be clear to mostly clear and warm, at about 30–31°C. The rain chance is low, though a brief shower or thunderstorm cannot be fully ruled out. Humidity is likely to be moderate to high with light to moderate winds, and dew may arrive later.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 160–170
• 2nd innings: 165–180