Placed in Group D alongside other giants of the shortest format of the game, Afghanistan is all set to lock horns with the Canadian side, who have not won a single match coming into this edition of the World Cup. Afghanistan now does not have any chances left, after New Zealand defeated Canada to register their third win in the competition and march into the Super-8s.
The Rashid Khan-led Afghanistan side will clash against the Dilpreet Bajwa-led Canadian side for the 39th match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Canada are still in the quest for their maiden victory in this World Cup.
The following article comprises a detailed preview of the ICC T20 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Canada. The article includes the probable playing XI, weather report, head-to-head record, key player battles, and the pitch report at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
AFG vs CAN T20 World Cup Match Preview:
Match Date: The Afghanistan vs. Canada match will be played on Thursday, February 19.
Venue: The match will take place at the MA Chidambarum Stadium in Chennai.
Time: The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM IST.
AFG vs CAN Full Squads:
Afghanistan Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Ishaq, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Abdullah Ahmadzai
Canada Squad: Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Ajayveer Hundal, Shreyas Movva, Jaskarandeep Singh, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Navneet Dhaliwal, Ansh Patel, Dilon Heyliger, Harsh Thaker, Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Nicholas Kirton, and Yuvraj Samra.
AFG vs CAN Probable XIs:
Afghanistan Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Canada Probable Playing XI: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Shreyas Movva, Nicholas Kirton, Jaskarandeep Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, Dilon Heyliger, Ansh Patel and Kaleem Sana.
AFG vs CAN T20 World Cup Match Key Battles:
Yuvraj Samra vs Mujeeb Ur Rahman:
Rising young Canadian opener Yuvraj Samra became the first-ever player from the American region to score a century in the ICC T20 World Cup. His century came in the last game against New Zealand, and he will be very crucial for them as they look for their first win in the tournament. Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been their best spinner in the World Cup and could deliver with the ball to dismiss the Canadian opener.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Saad Bin Zafar:
Afghanistan most in-form batter, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, has been right on the money for the semi-finalists of the T20 World Cup 2024. Despite his spectacular run, Gurbaz could not manage to lead them to a victory against New Zealand and South Africa. Saad Bin Zafar, the in-form Canadian spinner, has been prolific with the ball, despite the team lagging in the tournament. The spinner could dismiss the Afghan opener, despite him being a staunch striker of the white ball.
Azmatullah Omarzai vs Kaleem Sana:
Another big name in the Afghan lineup. Azmatullah Omarzai, the talented all-rounder. has performed with both the bat and ball. Hence, Kaleem Sana will be crucial to Canada with the new ball; however, he can return during the middle phase and be instrumental against Azmatullah, who often bats down for them in the middle and death overs.
AFG vs CAN Key Players:
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, Ibrahim Zadran, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb ur Rahman
Canada Key Players: Dilpreet Bajwa, Yuvraj Samra, Nicholas Kirton, Saad Bin Zafar, and Kaleem Sana
AFG vs CAN T20 World Cup Match – Live Streaming Details
AFG vs CAN Broadcast in India: The Afghanistan vs Canada clash will be broadcast live across India on the Star Sports Network.
Online Live Streaming in India: The matches of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 can be streamed live on the Jio HotStar app with an active subscription.
AFG vs CAN T20 World Cup Match Weather and Pitch Report – Chennai
AFG vs CAN: Weather Report in Chennai:
According to AccuWeather, rain will not be a spoilsport in the game; hence, a full stretch of 40 overs can be played between these two teams. Moreover, when the night prolongs, the temperature will be lowered slightly, and the dew factor often plays a major role, hence making it difficult to defend a set target.
AFG vs CAN Pitch Report at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai:
This pitch does not offer great batting conditions here at the Chidambaram Stadium. Spinners are often facilitated more than the seamers at this venue, due to the cracks, which often make spin bowling unpredictable. The track is also widely known for spinners, as it often grips and turns here, and hence, the teams often chasing here find it difficult, despite the dew coming into play later in the game.
AFG vs CAN Head-to-Head Records:
Afghanistan were also once considered to be an underdog; however, they have changed their reputation as a promising team. Afghanistan have played Canada in three matches in the shortest format of the game. Afghanistan won two of these games, which also include an ICC T20 World Cup qualifier game.
|
Match |
Afghanistan Won |
Canada won |
Draw |
No Result |
|
Overall |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
In T20 World Cup |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
In Last 5 Matches |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
AFG vs CAN T20 World Cup Match— Conclusion:
Considering all the parameters, Afghanistan are the one-sided favourite of the contest between them and Canada. The game seems to be very one-sided; however, none of these sides can advance to the next stage of the tournament, as South Africa and New Zealand have already qualified from this group. The last time semi-finalists would be looking to end this year’s campaign on a high note with a consolation win for them against Canada in their last game of the T20 World Cup group-stage.
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