IND vs AFG: Indian cricket is currently preparing for the T20 series against Afghanistan. This three-match series will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, where Team India will field its main squad. The team management may also view this series as preparation for the 2026 Asian Games. Therefore, if star players want to remain in the T20 team, they will need to perform exceptionally well in the series against Afghanistan. If they fail, their path to the playing eleven could be virtually closed. 

Sanju Samson 

Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson was dropped from the playing eleven against England. Now, he’s returning to the team. In such a situation, Sanju Samson will have to seize the opportunity he gets against Afghanistan. If Sanju doesn’t score runs against Afghanistan, his exclusion from the playing eleven will be almost certain. The management is now planning to play Vaibhav Suryavanshi regularly. This will create a competition between Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Only one of them will be able to make it into the playing eleven. In such a situation, every T20 match could prove to be a do-or-die situation for Sanju. However, Samson’s bat is known to score runs in such matches. 

Axar Patel 

Former Team India vice-captain Axar Patel also failed miserably against Ireland and England. Yet, the selectors and team management are backing him. If he fails against Afghanistan as well, the number of people questioning him will increase even more. In such a situation, Axar Patel will now have to perform well against Afghanistan. IPL superstar Krunal Pandya is already facing a long wait. If Patel has another poor series, it will become very difficult for him to remain in the team. In such a situation, Pandya may return. 

Abhishek Sharma 

Star opener Abhishek Sharma’s name also appears on this list. Abhishek has failed in six consecutive T20 matches for Team India. This is why there are already calls to drop him and replace Sanju with another. While Abhishek may benefit from being a favorite of captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir, if he fails to perform well against Afghanistan, the captain and coach will be forced to drop him from the playing eleven. In such a scenario, if Vaibhav and Sanju combine to play well, Abhishek could be dropped from the team.