2026 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan vs Canada: Preview and stats
What's the story
Afghanistan will take on Canada in their final Group A match of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. The match will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. Afghanistan's campaign has been disappointing so far, with losses to New Zealand and South Africa leading to their elimination from the tournament. Here are further details ahead of the contest on Thursday.
Team transition
Afghanistan's T20 World Cup journey
Afghanistan's T20 World Cup journey started with a heavy defeat against New Zealand. Thereafter, their campaign was marred by a heartbreaking loss to South Africa. The double Super Over defeat ended their campaign prematurely. Thereafter, Afghanistan claimed a 5-wicket win over UAE. This game against Canada could mark the beginning of a new era for Afghanistan cricket, with veteran players like Mohammad Nabi (41) possibly stepping aside for younger talent.
Rising star
Canada's young talent shines in T20 World Cup
Canada have made an impression in the T20 World Cup, with 19-year-old opener Yuvraj Samra showing great potential. The team will be looking to end their campaign on a high note by securing a win against Afghanistan. Navneet Dhaliwal, Canada's former captain and highest scorer in the shortest format, will retire after this match. He hopes to add more memories to his career before hanging up his boots.
Match details
Pitch report and key stadium stats
The Chennai pitch has been great for batting, contrary to pre-tournament expectations. The match will start at 7pm local time, which could see dew coming into play. This could prompt the toss-winning team to bowl first. Both Canada and Afghanistan have played one T20I each in Chennai. And both teams lost those games to New Zealand in this T20 World Cup. Overall, the stadium has hosted 8 T20I matches.
Probable XIs
Here are the likely XIs
Afghanistan's probable lineup: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (captain), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, and Ziaur Rahman. Canada's probable lineup: Dilpreet Bajwa (captain), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Shivam Sharma, Ansh Patel.
Information
Player focus: Here are the stats
Recently, skipper Rashid Khan became the 1st player in T20s with 700 wickets. As many as 191 of his T20 scalps have come for the Afghans in T20Is. He averages 13.77 from 114 matches.