Afghanistan faces Canada in a crucial Group D clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with both teams fighting to salvage pride after tough campaigns. This night match at Chennai’s iconic Chepauk promises spin-friendly action under the lights.
Afghanistan vs Canada, 39th Match, Group D, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026. Toss: 7:00 PM IST; Match starts 7:30 PM IST (6:30 PM local Chennai time). Venue: M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Chepauk’s pitch favors spinners as it slows down, with recent T20I averages around 159 in the first innings—teams batting first hold an edge in 8 of 13 games. Pacers get early help from breeze, but middle overs belong to grippy turners; expect 150-170 as par scores. Weather looks ideal: 27°C, hazy with 70% humidity, 0% rain chance, clear skies (4% cloud), ENE winds at 17 km/h gusting to 32 km/h—full match likely, though air quality could test stamina.
Both sides are eliminated, but wins build momentum for future cycles—Afghanistan eyes a strong finish under Rashid Khan, while Canada chases a maiden tournament scalp against a full-member side. Group D heats up as leaders secure Super Eights; this becomes a pride battle with rotations possible.
AFG vs CAN Match Details
- Match: Afghanistan vs Canada, 39th Match
- Teams: AFG vs CAN
- Date: 19 Feb 2026
- Time: 06:30 PM
- Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
T20 World 2026 Live Streaming Info
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off on February 7, 2026, and wraps up with the final on March 8, 2026. Hosted across India and Sri Lanka with 20 teams, it spans about a month—group stages from early February, Super 8s mid-month, semis late February/early March, and the final in Colombo or Mumbai.
- In India, tune into Star Sports Network (Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2) or stream on Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema.
- Pakistan viewers can watch on PTV Sports, A Sports, or Ten Sports, with streaming available on Tapmad and Tamasha.
- For Sri Lanka, options include SLRC, Channel Eye, and Siyatha TV on TV, plus Sri Lanka Cricket YouTube and Dialog ViU online.
- UK fans have Sky Sports Cricket, TNT Sports 1, and talkSPORT on television, alongside Sky Go, Discovery+, and NOW TV for streaming.
- In South Africa, SuperSport covers it on TV and via their app.
- Australia might check Fox Sports for TV and Kayo Sports for live streams.
- USA and Canada: Willow TV on TV, Sling TV or Willow HD app for streaming.
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ on TV and Sky Go app.
- Bangladesh: Gazi TV (GTV) and Rabith BD app.
- Afghanistan: RTA Sport and Ariana TV.
Rest of the world: ICC.tv for free streaming where no local rights holder exists. Subscriptions often apply, and VPNs can assist with geo-blocks where permitted.
How to Watch the Match for Free:
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Pakistan: PTV Sports broadcasts all matches live for free on TV via terrestrial, cable, and satellite—no subscription needed.
Live Streaming Info:
The 39th T20 World Cup match will be live on Willow Cricket.
Live Score Info:
Probable XIs
Afghanistan Probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Canada Probable XI: Yuvraj Singh Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Harsh Thaker, Shreyas Movva (wk), Saad Bin Zafar, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskaran Singh, Ansh Patel, Kaleem Sana.
Head-to-Head
Afghanistan dominates with 5 wins to Canada’s 1 across 6 meetings (mostly ODIs); no recent T20Is. Last five: AFG won 1st ODI 2010 by 11 runs (289/6 beat 288/8), CAN took 2nd ODI by 4 wkts (178/6 chased 177), AFG won 3rd ODI by 9 wkts. Older List A clashes tilt AFG’s way, setting tone for spin-heavy duel.
Afghanistan Analysis
Strengths shine in spin trio—Rashid Khan (captain), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad—plus Fazalhaq Farooqi’s swing. Top-order firepower from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran pairs with allround muscle from Azmatullah Omarzai and veterans Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib. Weakness: Inconsistent starts this WC, over-relying on middle order. Recent UAE win boosts confidence; Rashid’s guile thrives on Chepauk decks.
Canada Analysis
Canada punches above via allrounders like Harsh Thaker (fastest 50 record), Dilon Heyliger, Saad Bin Zafar—Thaker’s 6.07 econ shines. Navneet Dhaliwal (64 vs SA) and Nicholas Kirton offer stability; Kaleem Sana’s Powerplay heat (60+ T20I wkts at 13.40 avg) leads attack. Weaknesses: Batting fragility beyond openers, no big chases stick. Samra’s ton vs NZ shows spark, but depth lacks vs quality spin.
Key Battles
Rashid vs Canada’s middle order could choke runs on turning track; Farooqi targets Samra early. Thaker-Zafar duo tests Zadran-Gurbaz rotation; Omarzai-Naib finish strong vs Sana’s swing. Chepauk winds aid seam first up, spin later—team gripping middle overs wins.
Afghanistan’s superior spin attack and experience edge it on spin-friendly Chepauk—expect Rashid masterclass restricting Canada to 140s, chased in 19 overs. AFG by 25-30 runs or 4 wickets, building positives despite exit.