5 players who need a big performance in the next series

India are hosting Afghanistan across three T20Is at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, with matches scheduled on September 13, September 15, and September 17, 2026. Afghanistan are the designated home side for the series despite the games being played in India.

India arrive in this series on the back of a 3-0 win over Zimbabwe, and Shreyas Iyer leads a squad that includes several players carrying fitness question marks. With competition for places intense across all departments, a number of individuals have strong reasons to deliver in the remaining matches.

Here are the five players who need a big show in the next series:

1. Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube is classified as an allrounder who bats left-hand and bowls right-arm medium. He conceded 21 runs in the final over of the first T20I against Afghanistan on September 13, 2026, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. That kind of expensive spell raises questions about his reliability as a fifth or sixth bowling option. Dube faces growing competition from younger domestic power-hitters, and his ability to contribute with the ball in pressure situations will be closely watched in the remaining two games. A strong all-round showing in the final two T20Is would go a long way in settling the debate around his place in the side.

2. Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma was named vice-captain of India’s T20I side in June 2026, replacing Axar Patel in that role, and he retains the position for the Afghanistan series. The 23-year-old left-hand bat and right-arm offbreak bowler is classified as a batting allrounder. Varma occupies a key position in the middle order and faces significant competition for his spot in the XI. He needs to convert promising starts into match-winning contributions and improve his output against high-quality pace bowling. The Afghanistan series offers him a platform to demonstrate that his vice-captaincy elevation is backed by consistent, high-impact performances with the bat.

3. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, at 15 years of age, is the youngest player to receive a senior India call-up. The left-hand top-order batter had a remarkable IPL 2026 season, scoring 776 runs to claim the Orange Cap. He also won the Player of the Series award during India’s T20I series in Zimbabwe. However, he found conditions more difficult against England. The Afghanistan series gives Sooryavanshi a chance to build on his Zimbabwe showing and strengthen his case in a top-order that is crowded with talented options. The BCCI has highlighted a long-term vision of developing a new-look T20 side ahead of the 2028 LA Olympics and the T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and Sooryavanshi is central to that plan.

4. Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar must produce standout, multi-wicket spells to strengthen his case for a regular place in India’s T20I XI. He often finds himself in a secondary or backup role, with Axar Patel firmly established as a mainstay in the side. Sundar’s ability to contribute with the bat could work in his favour, but he needs to make an impact in both departments. Restrictive bowling and valuable lower-order cameos could force the team management to consider playing two spin-bowling all-rounders.

5. Varun Chakaravarthy

Varun Chakaravarthy needs to reaffirm his position in a highly competitive spin-bowling department. With Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav also pushing for opportunities, Chakaravarthy cannot afford to become complacent. He bowled well in the first T20I against Afghanistan, returning figures of 1/16 from four overs. However, batters have increasingly become better at reading his variations and identifying his turn earlier. Chakaravarthy will therefore need to add something different to his approach and produce consistently impactful performances to remain a preferred option in India’s strongest playing XI.