Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran called correctly at the toss and decided to field first against India in the third and final T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.
India have already secured the three-match series after taking an unbeatable 2-0 advantage, leaving Afghanistan with an opportunity to avoid a clean sweep.
Zadran said his team had wanted to bowl first in the previous two matches but could not do so after losing the toss. He also pointed to the Delhi pitch’s assistance for bowlers and backed his side to execute its plans effectively.
Afghanistan made two alterations to their starting XI as they brought in pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai and wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman.
Wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad and seam-bowling all-rounder Gulbadin Naib made way, while Noor Rahman received his maiden T20I cap.
Zadran said Afghanistan had reviewed their shortcomings from the first two matches and wanted to produce a stronger display in the final encounter.
He acknowledged India’s strength across departments but urged his players to keep their approach simple, give their best and compete with greater effectiveness.
Yash Thakur Replaces Arshdeep
India also made one change, with right-arm pacer Yash Thakur replacing left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh.
The decision kept teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar out of the playing XI.
India captain Shreyas Iyer said his team would remain focused despite winning the series. He stressed the importance of adapting to the conditions, trusting their instincts and avoiding unnecessary risks while setting a target.
Playing XIs
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Darwish Rasooli, Noor Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah.
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