Afghanistan vs Canada Playing 11, T20 World Cup 2026: Kaleem Sana back in for CAN, Afghans bring in Ahmadzai

The T20 World Cup 2026 continues with a high-stakes clash for pride as Afghanistan takes on Canada at the MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) in Chennai on February 19 (Thursday). Canada skipper Dilpreet Bajwa won the toss and opted to bowl first in Chennai. Both teams have made one change each in their playing 11s. Abdullah Ahmadzai gets a game for Afghanistan while Kaleem Sana is back for Canada.

For Canada, it’s a chance to prove their mettle against a Test-playing nation, while Afghanistan aim to end their campaign with a dominant performance to appease their fans.

Afghanistan vs Canada Playing 11

The Afghan side have made one change to their playing XI, led by Rashid Khan. They have brought in Abdullah Ahmadzai in place of Noor Ahmad. Despite their early exit, the team will lean on the explosive opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran to set the tone.

Afghanistan Playing 11: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan(c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Abdullah Ahmadzai.

Canada, led by Dilpreet Bajwa, have brought in Kaleem Sana in place of Shivam Sharma. The side has shown glimpses of brilliance, particularly from Yuvraj Samra, who recently became a talking point with his fearless century against New Zealand. They have stuck to a settled unit, hoping their seamers Sana and Dilon Heyliger can extract any early movement available under the lights.

Canada Playing 11: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa(c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva(w), Saad Bin Zafar, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskaran Singh, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel.

Afghanistan vs Canada T20 World Cup 2026: Head to Head

Afghanistan and Canada have met only a handful of times in T20Is, mostly during World Cup Qualifiers. Afghanistan holds a perfect record in this matchup.

MA Chidambaram Stadium T20I Pitch Report

The Chepauk wicket in Chennai is world-renowned for being a spin paradise. The surface is expected to be dry, offering plenty of grip and turn for the slower bowlers. While the average score isn’t as high as the Wankhede, a total of 165+ is often considered a match-winning score here due to the difficulty of chasing against quality spin.

Afghanistan vs Canada T20 World Cup 2026 Chennai Weather Report

The weather in Chennai for the AFG vs CAN match is expected to be clear but extremely humid. There is a 0% chance of rain, ensuring a full 40-over game. Players will have to battle high humidity levels, which could cross 75% as the night progresses.