AFG vs IND 3rd T20I: Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Finally Play?
India have sealed the series against Afghanistan, but the third T20I in Delhi could give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and other fringe players a chance.
India have already secured the T20I series against Afghanistan after consecutive seven-wicket victories, but the third and final match in Delhi offers an opportunity to test the team’s bench strength. The biggest question is whether 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will finally get a chance to play on home soil.
Captain Shreyas Iyer indicated after the second T20I that India could rotate the squad to give players waiting on the sidelines valuable match practice. Sooryavanshi played all three T20Is during India’s Zimbabwe tour and was named Player of the Series, but Sanju Samson’s return has kept him out of the Afghanistan series so far.
Samson strengthened his case with a 57 off 22 balls in the second match, while Abhishek Sharma has also established himself in the opening combination. Giving Sooryavanshi a place could therefore require India to alter its batting order.
Washington Sundar and Yash Thakur are also among the players who could feature, while Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out with a side strain. Afghanistan, meanwhile, will look to avoid another heavy defeat and could consider changes to their pace attack. Rashid Khan is also four wickets away from reaching 200 T20I wickets.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium is expected to offer a batting-friendly surface, with short boundaries likely to encourage attacking cricket. The match begins at 7:30 pm IST on September 17.
