Spectators at the
The two teams stood in formation as the National Song was played in its entirety, followed immediately by the National Anthem. This sequence follows a directive issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier this year, which established protocols for the performance of Vande Mataram at official functions, stipulating that all six stanzas should be included. While the Ministry’s guidelines did not explicitly list sporting events as required venues for the National Song, the performance in Delhi marked a notable departure from standard pre-match traditions in international cricket.
Toss and Team Selection Updates
Following the conclusion of the anthems, India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to field first. Iyer noted that the decision was influenced by the nature of the pitch in Delhi, which he described as a surface that typically favors bowling first. The match saw the return of pace spearhead
The team selection also featured the inclusion of Sanju Samson, who replaced Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the lineup. During the toss presentation, Iyer addressed the changes, confirming that Sooryavanshi and Washington Sundar were among those omitted from the side for this fixture. Despite the series being hosted in Delhi, Afghanistan are officially designated as the home team for this three-match encounter.
Playing XIs for the Series Opener
The Indian side for the first T20I consists of Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakaravarthy. Afghanistan’s lineup features Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
