Shubman Gill’s India enter the MA Chidambaram Stadium with an eye to whitewash Afghanistan in the ongoing three-match series. After wins in Dharamsala and Lucknow, the stage is set for Chennai to host an ODI for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup. India boast a decent record at the venue, having won eight and lost six one-day internationals in Chennai.
With the series already in the bag, India are expected to make multiple changes to their playing XI. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that the team management intends to continue experimenting with combinations. The series has already produced several positives. Ishan Kishan announced his return in style with a century in Lucknow, while captain Shubman Gill impressed at No. 3 in Virat Kohli’s absence. Young pacer Gurnoor Brar has also caught the eye with his pace and bounce.
Match Details: India vs Afghanistan 3rd ODI
- Match: India vs Afghanistan, 3rd ODI
- Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
- Date: June 20, 2026
- Time: 1:30 PM IST
- Live Streaming: JioHotstar, & Star Sports Network
Pitch Report & Conditions: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
The match will be played on a mixed soil wicket, made up of both red and black soil. The black soil will help spinners, while a red bit will be useful for pacers and good bounce off the deck. As we saw from stats during the 2023 ODI World Cup, the venue fared better to pacers. At the IPL 2026, a pacer like Jamie Overton extracted incredible bounce. So, don’t expect this ground to be haven for spinners, unlike what the perception is.
Pace vs Spin at MA Chidambaram Stadium
| Bowling | M | Balls | Runs | Wickets | Best | Average | Eco | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pace | 5 | 1406 | 1240 | 44 | 3/19 | 28.18 | 5.29 | 31.9 |
| Spin | 5 | 1362 | 1161 | 25 | 4/60 | 46.44 | 5.11 | 54.4 |
India Playing XI
Harshit Rana’s back in the ODI squad and might walk straight into the XI. After a knee surgery kept him out of the T20 World Cup and IPL, the pace-bowling all-rounder gets his shot again. Ten Doeschate also said Nitish Reddy is fit now after missing the last game, so he’s set to play. And KL Rahul could get a break with Ishan Kishan taking over wicketkeeping duties.
India Predicted Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey/Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav
Afghanistan Playing XI
Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai missed the last match due to illness and a niggle. Now, both should be slotted back into the side.
Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Darwish Rasooli/Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Saleem Safi
Match Prediction: Who will win India vs Afghanistan 3rd ODI?
As capable as Afghanistan are, they haven’t really threatened India in this series. In Dharamsala, Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the only player who turned up for them. Meanwhile, in tantalising heat, Hashmatullah Shahidi’s men were clueless as they leaked over 400 runs against a powerful Indian batting attack.
After this, there are not many signs that tilt things in Afghanistan’s favour. However, if India make too many changes and go with an inexperience bowling attack altogether, they might have a chance. But the thing is, even after that, India are stronger in all other departments. The batting unit is crazy under Shubman Gill, who is himself in peak of his powers. The likes of Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer are yet to turn up with the bat.
India vs Afghanistan 3rd ODI Live Streaming
| Region/Country | TV Broadcast | Live Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| India | Star Sports Network | JioHotstar app & website |
| Afghanistan | Ariana Television Network (ATN) | ATN Digital Platforms |
| Pakistan | — | Tapmad |
| USA | Willow TV | Willow TV Platforms |
| Canada | Willow TV | Willow TV Platforms |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport | SuperSport App |
| South Africa | SuperSport | SuperSport App |
| Australia | Fox Cricket | Kayo Sports |
| England | TNT Sports | TNT Sports App / Discovery+ |
