Shreyas Iyer confirms changes in India’s XI for third IND vs AFG T20I; Know here
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi might finally be seen back in action during the third T20I, as per Shreyas Iyer’s indications.
India emerged victorious in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan after their win in second T20I. However, the world champions would aim to continue their winning streak, as they want to extend their impeccable record against Afghanistan, and complete the whitewash.
India have already shown that they are willing to use the Afghanistan series to assess different combinations in the shortest format of the game. The first two matches have given the team useful game time after a difficult run against Ireland and England.
The third T20I, scheduled for September 17 in Delhi, could therefore be more than just another series game. With India having secured the series, the management has an ideal opportunity to rotate players and hand over chances to the players who have sat on the bench for the first two games, especially with Asian Games 2026 around the corner.
Shreyas Iyer hints at changes for the third IND vs AFG T20I
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India captain Shreyas Iyer has indicated that changes are likely for the third T20I, with the management keen to give playing time to every player in the Indian squad ahead of the Asian Games.
“We want all of them to get used to the wicket and the conditions and also get some practice. So it would be a nice game to give opportunities to the players, especially who have been sitting out, and also change a little bit in the combination as well,” said Iyer during the post-match interview.
This statement gives a strong indication that players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yash Thakur, who have sat out for the majority of the series, might be handed a chance to play for India. Thakur made his debut during the Zimbabwe series and was picked as Harshit Rana’s replacement for both the Afghanistan T20Is and the upcoming Asian Games.
Vaibhav, whose snub from the playing XI following his extraordinary performance against Zimbabwe has raised many eyebrows, might be making a comeback to the XI. Samson was backed by the team management, and the experienced batter paid off the trust in the second match of the series with a stunning knock.
Hence, the opening position for India could be reassessed, while Jasprit Bumrah might be rested in the next game. However, confirmation is yet to come, and as of now these continue to be possibilities ahead of the third T20I.
Who are the Indian players benched in the first two matches of the IND vs AFG series?
The Indian players benched during the first two matches of the T20I series against Afghanistan include Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur and Washington Sundar.
Who won the IND vs AFG T20I series in 2026?
India have already won the IND vs AFG T20I series with a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
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