Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi play for India in the third T20I against Afghanistan in Delhi?

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's inclusion in India's XI for the third T20I against Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on September 17 remains uncertain, with the final playing XI to be confirmed at the toss later tonight.

India enter the third match having won the first two games of the series by seven wickets, taking a 2-0 lead. In the opening T20I, Abhishek Sharma led the chase with a 22-ball half-century; he finished with 82 off 32 balls, struck seven sixes and seven fours and registered a strike rate of 256.25, while Ishan Kishan scored 42 off 33 balls. In the second T20I, Sanju Samson hit 57 off 22 balls as India chased down Afghanistan’s 160-run total in 14.5 overs, and captain Shreyas Iyer said the side would try different combinations to test bench strength ahead of Asian Games 2026.

There are chances that Sooryavanshi might get an opportunity in the final game, though no official confirmation has been made. The youngster has played six T20Is, scoring 193 runs at a strike rate of 189.21, including two half-centuries, and he won the Player of the Series award in Zimbabwe.

If Sooryavanshi is drafted into the playing XI, one of Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson would likely be omitted to accommodate him. Fans are expecting a call-up for the youngster and he would be keen to make the most of any opportunity to strengthen his case for Asian Games 2026.

The toss is scheduled for 7:00 PM IST on Tuesday and will determine the final lineups; the third T20I will start at 7:30 PM IST at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.