afghanistan And Canada Will face each other in match 39 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 On Thursday (February 19) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, both the teams were already out of the race for the Super 8s.
Afghanistan’s campaign went into disarray after heartbreaking defeats – a double Super Over loss to South Africa followed by a shock defeat against New Zealand. Although they staged a comeback against UAE, the 2024 semi-finalists could not repeat their heroics. Meanwhile, Canada has lost all three matches, but the defining moment of the tournament came when 19-year-old Yuvraj Samra became the youngest century in T20 World Cup history against New Zealand.
In the upcoming game, Afghanistan is expected to field a strong XI, with Rashid Khan leading the attack along with Mujeeb Ur Rehman and Noor Ahmed. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who missed out on winning the match against South Africa by a narrow margin, will look to start with the runs. Canada, on the other hand, will likely retain Samra at the helm, with former captain Navneet Dhaliwal in their farewell presence.
AFG vs CAN, T20 World Cup 2026: Match Details
- date and time: 19 February (Thursday); 7:00 PM IST / 1:30 PM GMT
- venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
AFG vs CAN, head-to-head record in T20Is
Matches played: 02 | Afghanistan won: 02 | Canada won: 0
MA Chidambaram Stadium Pitch Report
The MA Chidambaram Stadium has long been known as a venue where spinners thrive, thanks to the grip and turn offered by the surface. Afghanistan, with their strong spin attack, is well equipped to make life difficult for the batsmen in these conditions. The pitch is expected to favor the bowlers right from the start, meaning scoring runs will not be easy and patience will be important for anyone at the crease.
For Afghanistan, the ideal plan would be to apply pressure through tight, consistent spin, force errors and eliminate easy scoring options. Canada, meanwhile, has a clutch of fast bowlers as well as capable slow bowlers who can mix their pace cleverly, adding another layer of challenge for the batsmen.
All signs point towards a spin-dominated contest, where discipline with the ball may matter more than strength with the bat.
squads
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Umarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (captain), Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Noor Ahmed, Ziaur Rehman Sharifi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooqui, Mohammad Ishaq, Shahidullah Kamal.
Canada: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (captain), Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Harsh Thaker, Dilon Helliger, Shreyas Movva (wicketkeeper), Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Jaskaran Singh, Ansh Patel, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Ajayveer Hundal, Kaleem Sana, Ravinderpal Singh.
Also read: Mayanti Langer, Laura McGoldrick to Grace Hayden – full list of T20 World Cup 2026 presenters
AFG vs CAN, T20 World Cup 2026: Today Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Afghanistan won the toss and bowled first
- Canada’s powerplay score: 40-50 (6 overs)
- Canada’s total score: 150-160
Case 2:
- Canada won the toss and batted first
- Afghanistan’s powerplay score: 50-60 (6 overs)
- Afghanistan’s total score: 180-190
Match Result: Afghanistan will win the tournament.