AFG vs IND 2026: Top 3 player battles for 2nd T20I

India hold a 1-0 series lead entering the second T20I of the three-match series scheduled for Tuesday, September 15. The all-important encounter, where the series is on the line, will be played at the iconic venue of the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Shreyas Iyer leads the Men in Blue with Tilak Varma as deputy, while Ibrahim Zadran captains Afghanistan. The Indians have welcomed the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who warmed the bench in the first game, may be drafted into the XI. Afghanistan’s core squad remains unchanged since the T20 World Cup, with Naveen-ul-Haq returning after a shoulder injury.

The first T20I was won by the visitors with a convincing margin, as they crossed the finishing line with 6.2 overs and seven wickets to spare. Meanwhile, there were a few exciting matchups in the series opener, which caught everyone’s attention. Abhishek Sharma top-scored for India with his 82 off 32, while Arshdeep Singh (3-19 of 4 overs) impressed with the ball. For Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai made all-round contributions with his unbeaten half-century, while also accounting for a dismissal during the run chase.

Here are the top 3 player battles to watch out for in AFG vs IND, 2nd T20I:

3. Rashid Khan vs Abhishek Sharma

The first battle centres on Rashid Khan versus Abhishek Sharma. Rashid Khan remains Afghanistan’s premier spinner and a key figure in their middle-overs strategy. The skilled spin bowler looked quite pale in the first T20I, going for 34 runs in his 3.4 overs, while failing to pick up a wicket on a track that had a lot to offer for the spinners.

Abhishek, meanwhile, was the Player of the Match for his blistering knock on Sunday, which was laced with seven fours and an equinumerous amount of maximums. However, he will need to navigate Rashid’s variations carefully, as the Afghan spinner’s experience in T20 cricket makes him a formidable opponent in the middle phases of the innings.