Iyer elects to field after winning toss as India host Afghanistan in 2nd T20I in New Delhi
India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to field in the second T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, with the match scheduled to start at 7 PM IST and the toss having taken place around 6:30 PM IST.
India named Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi (in for Varun Chakaravarthy), Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh in their playing XI, while Afghanistan were unchanged with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran (C), Sediqullah Atal, Gulbadin Naib, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Fazalhaq Farooqi. The match will be broadcast live in India on the Sony Sports Network.
Pitch analysts Murali Kartik and Sanjay Manjrekar reported from the surface designated as pitch number 4, with Kartik noting an average first-innings score of 180 and saying a side batting first should post “at least more than 200” to be competitive; Kartik described the strip as pretty dry while Manjrekar pointed to some dampness and visible spike marks, and both observed the boundaries have been shortened with a couple of strips shifted for the game.
Play began with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran walking out to open for Afghanistan and Jasprit Bumrah taking the new ball for India, with a slip in place; early deliveries to Zadran included a good-length moving ball that beat the outside edge and another that was punched off the back foot but not into the gap, according to live commentary.
Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai told broadcasters that losing early wickets had put his side under pressure in the previous game, that he and Mohammad Nabi had discussed batting deep and finishing better after falling short in the last two to three overs, and that Afghanistan had done their homework on the right areas to bowl. Skipper Ibrahim Zadran said his team would have bowled first as well, emphasised a focus on executing better with the bat, and confirmed Afghanistan were unchanged for the match.
Shreyas Iyer described calling tails at the toss as lucky and explained his reasoning for bowling first, saying fielding initially gives a side an early read on how the surface is behaving and allows bowlers to adjust to the pace of the wicket; he also singled out the 10-to-15-over phase as an area his bowlers need to tighten. Iyer confirmed Varun Chakaravarthy had a side strain, which is why Ravi Bishnoi was selected in his place.
Context from the series opener: India won the first T20I with Abhishek Sharma striking 82 off 32 balls, including seven fours and seven sixes, and Ishan Kishan contributing 42 as India chased 157/3 in 13.4 overs. Afghanistan had earlier recovered from a Power-play collapse of five wickets for 43 with an 83-run partnership between Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi; Omarzai finished unbeaten on 64 off 44 while Afghanistan ended on 156/8. In that match Arshdeep Singh finished with 3/9, Jasprit Bumrah took an early wicket on his return, and Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy also claimed scalps. India will be without Harshit Rana, ruled out with a rectus femoris strain, with Yash Thakur joining the squad, and Chakaravarthy’s recent side strain has placed his availability for the Asian Games in doubt after he had returned from a hamstring problem and in the opener had taken one wicket for 16 runs in four overs.
A victory for India on Tuesday would secure an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, while Afghanistan must win to force a deciding third T20I.
