India have been forced into a tactical change for the second T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, with spinner Varun Chakaravarthy ruled out of the remainder of the three-match series. The decision follows a medical assessment confirming a side strain sustained during the opening fixture of the series.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that the bowler experienced sudden discomfort in his left lateral abdominal region while delivering his third over in the first match. Subsequent scans revealed the extent of the injury, leading to his immediate withdrawal from the squad. Ravi Bishnoi has been brought into the playing XI as his replacement.
India opt to bowl as Afghanistan remain unchanged
At the toss, India captain Shreyas Iyer elected to field first, citing a desire to leverage the conditions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Reflecting on the team's performance in the series opener—which India won by seven wickets—Iyer noted that while the result was positive, there remains room for improvement, particularly regarding the ability of the bowling unit to take wickets during the middle overs.
The Indian side has opted for continuity elsewhere, with Sanju Samson retaining his place in the lineup. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was not included in the final selection for this encounter.
Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran confirmed that his side would have also preferred to bowl first had the coin toss gone in his favor. Looking to bounce back from their defeat in the series opener, the visitors have opted for an unchanged XI. Zadran emphasized the team's intent to play positive cricket and improve upon their start from the previous match.
India currently hold a 1-0 lead in the series. The playing XI for India features Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravi Bishnoi. Afghanistan remain unchanged with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Gulbadin Naib, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
