India Predicted Playing XI vs Afghanistan 1st T20I: As is the case with any of Team India’s T20I assignments, the question of who will find a place in the playing XI takes the centrestage before the clash. Since winning the T20 World Cup at home, the biggest question has been about the opening combination. There are three outright contenders for the two spots. These are Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, and Sanju Samson. However, if the pre-series nets are anything to go by, the Indian team could drop the 15-year-old prodigy for the first match of the series.
Will Sanju Samson Open With Abhishek Sharma?
Abhishek Sharma, despite his poor performances in the T20 World Cup, seems to have solidified his spot at the top of the order. The left-handed batter has received immense backing from head coach Gautam Gambhir.
If that remains the case, then Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could be fighting for one spot. The practice session on Friday before the series opener on Sunday showed Sooryavanshi to struggle against Bumrah. The struggles before the series could result in Samson overtaking Sooryavanshi to open the innings.
IND vs AFG 1st T20I: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to be Dropped?
Coming into this series, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had played three first-class games for the East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026. The 15-year-old scored 192 runs in three matches. The transition from playing morning games against the red ball to playing under lights against the white ball could prove to be tricky for the youngster. It is expected that the Indian team management could give Sooryavanshi a break by not playing him in the first T20I.
IND vs AFG 1st T20I: Latest Update on Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan suffered a lower back injury scare during the practice session before the India vs Afghanistan series. However, it is expected that the left-handed batter will be fit to play in the opening game of the series. He was hit by a short ball from Navdeep Saini, who is a net bowler for the Indian team in this series. Kishan was later revealed to be fine by Saini.
India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I Predicted Playing XI
India Predicted Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (C), Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
