New Delhi: Having secured an unassailable 2-0 lead, Team India will aim for a series sweep when they take on Afghanistan in the third and final T20 International on Thursday at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground. With the trophy already in hand, the team management is weighing lineup adjustments to give game time to bench players before departing for Japan on September 19 for the Asian Games. Indian captain Shreyas Iyer hinted at tactical rotations following their decisive victory in the second game, aiming to keep squad members match-ready. The Selection Puzzle: Finding Room for Suryavanshi Accommodating rising talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi presents a tactical dilemma. Suryavanshi made his international debut during the England tour in July when Sanju Samson was experiencing a lean patch. However, both Samson and opening partner Abhishek Sharma are currently in strong form and play almost exclusively in this format, making them reluctant candidates for rest. If the management prefers not to alter the dynamic opening pair, resting wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan—who recently led East Zone in the Duleep Trophy—remains a viable route to integrate Suryavanshi into the playing XI, with Samson retaining wicketkeeping duties. Middle-Order Seeking Game Time India’s top-order dominance across the first two fixtures has left the middle order with minimal time in the middle. Skipper Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma will look for substantial batting time, while all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube have yet to wield the bat in the series. All-Round Contributions: Nitish Kumar Reddy made an impact with the ball in the previous fixture, claiming 3 for 24—a positive sign as the team develops depth behind the injured Hardik Pandya. Bowling Setup: Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, brought in for the injured Varun Chakravarthy, bowled an economical spell and is expected to retain his spot alongside pace spearheads Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. Afghanistan Target Batting Revival Afghanistan faces an uphill battle to counter India’s pace attack during the powerplay. After falling well short of challenging totals in the opening encounters, the visiting batters will need a major turnaround. Reflecting on their batting approach, Afghan skipper Ibrahim Zadran noted the necessity of converting totals around 150–160 into the 200-run territory required to challenge world-class opposition. The contest gets underway at 7:30 PM IST. Squads India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Thakur. Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Gulbadin Naib, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ul Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Sediqullah Atal, Rashid Khan, Darwish Rasooli, Nangeyalia Kharote, Naveen-ul-Haq, Abdullah Ahmadzai. Post navigation Nico Rosberg Raises Doubts Over Liam Lawson’s Long-Term Red Bull Future Despite Strong Form Team India ODI Squad Overhauled With Eight Major Changes Ahead of West Indies Series
