India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I preview: India’s new-look squad faces Afghanistan’s spin threat

India will begin their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday, September 13, with plenty of attention on team combinations, key returns and a potentially intriguing battle between India’s batting depth and Afghanistan’s formidable spin attack.

The match, scheduled for a 7 pm IST start, will be the first of three T20Is between the sides, with the remaining games to be played on September 15 and 17.

India head into the series with a strong historical advantage. The two teams have met nine times in T20Is, with India winning eight completed matches, while one encounter produced no result. Afghanistan, however, have developed into one of the most competitive sides in the shortest format and possess the kind of bowling attack that can trouble even the strongest batting line-ups.

Bumrah’s return adds to India’s bowling strength

The biggest boost for India is the return of Jasprit Bumrah.

The pace spearhead is back in the T20I setup after being rested from the recent Test assignment in Sri Lanka and will add experience and control to an attack that also has Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur, Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi among its options.

India's batting selection could also attract considerable interest. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube are among the players competing for places, while young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is another name that could generate excitement around the playing XI.

Captain Shreyas Iyer will therefore have several combinations to consider before the toss.

The challenge will be finding the right balance between batting aggression, spin options and pace resources in Delhi.

Afghanistan’s spin attack could test India

Afghanistan will look towards their experienced spin department to put India under pressure. Rashid Khan remains the biggest threat, while Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman give the visitors further options through the middle overs.

Afghanistan will also begin a new phase under Ibrahim Zadran, who takes charge as the team's full-time T20I captain.

His leadership will be tested against an Indian side with considerable experience in the format.

The return of Naveen-ul-Haq provides another boost to Afghanistan's bowling attack, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai give the side considerable firepower with the bat.

India vs Afghanistan: Key battle in Delhi

Much could depend on how India's batters handle Afghanistan's spinners. Rashid, Noor and Mujeeb can squeeze the scoring rate through the middle overs, making strike rotation and the ability to attack spin crucial for India's top and middle order.

At the same time, Afghanistan's batters face a difficult assignment against Bumrah and Arshdeep.

India will hope their pace attack can make early inroads before Afghanistan's middle order gets the opportunity to dictate the game.

The opening match is therefore likely to provide an early indication of how both teams are shaping up for their upcoming assignments.

While India will start as favourites on paper and boast a dominant record in this fixture, Afghanistan have enough variety in their bowling and enough experience in their batting to make the series opener a competitive contest.

Playing XI:
India: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (WK), Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran (C), Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi