India face tough selection calls as Afghanistan play hosts in Delhi

Shreyas Iyer will have to make the unenviable selection of two openers out of Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma

Big picture: Afghanistan's home at away team's capital

Given the reality of Afghanistan, the country, there really couldn't be a better place for their cricket team than the one they have got to host India for the first time in international cricket. Right in the middle of the capital of India, at a ground that separates New Delhi from Old Delhi, a city that no ethnicity or social group can call its own because it has always welcomed people and influences.

About 12.5km from the Arun Jaitley Stadium is Lajpat Nagar, originally a refugee colony and now home to, among others, thousands of Afghans who run their own restaurants, nuts shops, pharmacies, currency exchanges and advertise those establishments in Persian script. "Mini Kabul", as some call it, is a good host. Their waiters will describe ashak, an Afghan dumpling dish, to you as dal-momo so the local predominantly Punjabi population knows what exactly it is.

At the ground back in central Delhi, Afghanistan cricketers won't be as welcoming. Having not played any T20I cricket since the World Cup in February, Afghanistan, under a new captain but with the core intact, will know they have a serious opportunity against an Indian team in transition.RelatedBumrah adds a few more steps on his road back to T20Is

Since becoming the first team to successfully defend a T20 World Cup, India have lost series in Ireland - their first in three years - and England. The win in Zimbabwe doesn't tell you much, but now they are almost back to full strength. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy will make their return; only Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana have been ruled out with injuries.

Afghanistan will welcome back Naveen-ul-Haq, who missed the World Cup with injury. The only other changes in their squad are the inclusions of back-up wicketkeeper Noor ul Rahman and back-up allrounder Nangeyalia Kharote. Having lost the Test and all three ODIs on the tour of India earlier this year, Afghanistan will love to pull one back by registering a first win over India in international cricket, the only Full Member side they are yet to beat.

Form guide

Afghanistan WWLLL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)

India WWWLL

In the spotlight: Rashid Khan and Shreyas Iyer

No longer the Afghanistan captain, Rashid Khan found himself back in the wickets after a dry run of only ten and nine wickets in the last two IPLs. He will hope to carry this change of fortunes into internationals and lead the attack with his experience. In his only match in Delhi in this year's IPL, Rashid returned figures of 4-0-17-3 in a one-run win for his team, Gujarat Titans.Shreyas Iyer has had a tough initiation to T20I captaincy•PA Photos/Getty Images

The dubious distinction of leading India to their first series defeat in three years already to his name, Shreyas Iyer will have the spotlight firmly on him. Not least because now, with the return of Sanju Samson to the squad, he has to make the unenviable selection of two openers out of Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma. Samson was the Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, the teenage prodigy Sooryavanshi was the Player of the Series in Zimbabwe, and Abhishek was chosen ahead of Samson when Sooryavanshi was given his debut in England. Whomever Iyer selects, he will himself want to stamp his authority as captain with runs off his bat.

Team news: Naveen, Bumrah back?

The main question for Afghanistan will be whether they want one or two seamers to go with the allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai. If it is only one, they will have to choose between the tried-and-tested Fazalhaq Farooqi and the returning Naveen. Should they play both of them, one of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad might have to sit out.

Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran (capt), 3 Gulbadin Naib, 4 Sediqullah Atal, 5 Darwish Rasooli, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Noor Khan, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi/ Naveen-ul-Haq

Apart from the difficult choice at the top, India have a host of allrounders to choose from: Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube. Bumrah, Varun and Arshdeep Singh should play as the specialist bowlers but Rana's absence leaves them with a difficult choice for No. 8: a specialist bowler who can't hit sixes or a batting allrounder who might not always be relied upon to bowl four overs. In England, they went in with an allrounder at No. 8, in Zimbabwe a specialist bowler. In India, how will they go?

India (probable): 1 and 2: Two out of Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Pitch and conditions: Early-season uncertainty

Delhi might not have been among the quickest-scoring grounds during this year's IPL, but even in the middle of the table it conceded a hefty 9.63 per over. Given the small boundaries, barring a lack of pace or early-season seam movement, Delhi should make for big scores. The monsoon has all but left northern India, and even if the clouds clear their throats a little bit, it shouldn't affect the match at night.

Stats and trivia: Rashid eyes 200 T20I wickets

If Sooryavanshi gets a game this series, he will become the youngest player from a Full Member side to play international cricket in India.

Mohammad Nabi is already the oldest man from a Full Member team to play a T20I in India.

Iyer has won the toss in each of his first nine international games as captain, a record already.

Nabi is 52 short of becoming the first Afghan to 2500 T20I runs.

Rashid is seven away from becoming the first man to 200 T20I wickets.