As the group stage of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 nears its conclusion, Afghanistan and Canada will meet at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday in the 39th match of the tournament. Although both sides are out of contention for a place in the Super Eight stage, this encounter will give them an opportunity to bow out on a positive note.

Afghanistan entered the tournament with high hopes. Their campaign, however, has been about narrow margins and missed opportunities. A heartbreaking double Super Over defeat to South Africa and a tense loss against New Zealand effectively halted their progress. Afghanistan's strength has always revolved around their world-class spin attack and disciplined bowling unit. On the Chepauk surface, which is historically known to assist slower bowlers, Afghanistan will be eager to exploit the conditions. Most importantly, Afghanistan will be determined to end their campaign on a high note.

For Canada, the tournament has been about learning. They have faced formidable opposition and struggled to challenge them. Consecutive defeats to South Africa, the UAE, and New Zealand derailed their campaign. This match is a chance for them to secure a historic victory over a Full Member nation and cap off their campaign with a win. 

Head-to-head

Matches - 2

AFG Won - 2

CAN Won - 0

Afghanistan likely XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Canada possible XI: Yuvraj Singh Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Harsh Thaker, Dilon Heyliger, Shreyas Movva (wk), Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Jaskaran Singh, Ansh Patel