Afghanistan vs West Indies 3rd T20I 2026: Complete Match Preview

Afghanistan is gearing up to clean sweep West Indies by winning the 3rd T20I at Dubai. They showcased commanding performances in the last two games, as the Caribbean team failed to find answers against Afghan spinners. The upcoming match gives West Indies an opportunity to correct their mistakes, and come up with a strong performance to challenge the rampant Afghanistan. They have already lost the series, but the pride is still at stake, as enduring a whitewash before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 would be detrimental for their morale.  

During the last two matches, the difference between the two teams has been clear. Afghanistan has showcased a more composed batting performance in the middle, whereas West Indies has lacked stability in the middle order. It is one of those things the Caribbean team needs to sort out before the next match, otherwise, Afghanistan will come hard at them to secure a 3-0 series win.

In this article, we will review the upcoming Afghanistan vs West Indies T20I match in detail. We will take a look at the strategies of both teams, as that will let us know what type of plans they could use in the field to secure victory. Let’s first take a quick look back at what happened in the last match between Afghanistan and West Indies in Dubai.

A Quick Recap of Afghanistan vs West Indies 2nd T20I

The 2nd T20I match between Afghanistan and West Indies proved to be a one-sided contest, as Afghans dominated the game in both innings. They batted well in the first innings, courtesy of some strong performances by Sediqullah Atal and Darwish Rasooli. Both players smashed stunning fifties that allowed Afghanistan to post a huge total of 189 on the board. The knock of Rasooli was especially impressive, as he scored 68 of just 39 balls, hitting 5 fours and 3 sixes.

In the second innings, the Afghanistan bowlers came up with a set plan against the struggling West Indies batters. Mujeeb Ur Rahman turned out to be their star performer, as he picked 4 wickets in the second innings to dismantle the West Indies top and middle order. As a result, Afghanistan gained an upper hand over the Caribbean team, which allowed them to win the match by 39 runs.

Match Strategy of Afghanistan for 3rd T20I

Afghanistan will march to the field with plenty of confidence, as they have already won the T20I series. Their batters have performed well in the last two matches, so a strong performance would be expected from them in the next game as well. It is certainly the core strategy of Afghanistan to bat big in the first innings. They try to keep the wickets in hand during the middle overs, as that allows the batters to lay a strong foundation for the later part of the innings. They would once again try to dominate the game with the same strategy, as it worked well for them in the last two matches.  

In the bowling department, Afghanistan will rely on its spin duo of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Both players have the ability to take quick wickets at any stage of the game. Their spin attack caused significant trouble for the West Indies in the previous matches, so the strategy for winning the 3rd T20I is likely to remain the same. In addition, Afghanistan’s opening pace attack will be equally important, as Fazalhaq Farooqi has a tendency to pick early wickets in the Powerplay. By following this comprehensive bowling plan, Afghanistan would once again aim to dominate West Indies to win the last contest of the series.

Key Players for Afghanistan

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is the superstar of Afghanistan who can win matches singlehandedly. He has performed decently in the ongoing series, so the team will need his bowling magic again in the last match. Rashid usually bowls in the middle overs, giving Afghanistan a firm control over the scoring rate. In the 2nd T20I, he picked up one wicket while conceding just 19 runs in four overs. This shows the impact of Rashid Khan, as how smartly he held the scoring rate of West Indies by bowling economical overs. A similar type of performance would be needed from him in the upcoming match which will be played at the same venue on January 22.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is a key batter in the Afghanistan opening lineup. He is an aggressive player who likes to take on bowlers early in the Powerplay. Unfortunately, his performances in the last two matches were not up to the expectations. Considering his importance for ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the team needs him to fire in this match. Technically, he would take the field with lesser pressure, as Afghanistan has already won the series. This presents Gurbaz an exciting opportunity to play with freedom from the start of the innings. He is undoubtedly a quality performer, who can play a match-winning role for Afghanistan in the 3rd T20I.   

Match Strategy of West Indies for 3rd T20I

West Indies need to find a lot of answers before the start of 3rd T20I. They have looked uncomfortable against Afghanistan’s spin attack in the last two matches, which is certainly a big problem for them. Despite getting promising starts, their batters have failed to negate the attack of Afghanistan spinners who have bowled with top accuracy in the previous matches. To win the next match, West Indies need to come up with a renewed strategy to counter the spin attack. It is important for them because they will face plenty of spin in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup that will be played in India and Sri Lanka.

As far as bowling is concerned, West Indies have a good attack that can trouble the Afghanistan batters. They just need to make sure to keep the pressure on Afghans for a long period of time. In the previous matches, West Indies bowled well at the start of the innings, but eventually lost the plot during the middle overs. This is something they need to fix before the next game, as bowlers like Matthew Forde and Gudakesh Motie have the ability to exert pressure on Afghans in the middle overs.

Key Players for West Indies

Evin Lewis

Evin Lewis is a batter who can thrash the Afghanistan bowling lineup from the start of the innings. His performances in the last two matches have been disappointing, but that does not rule out his threat in the next game. He is a serious striker who can hit big boundaries at will. This makes him a vital asset for West Indies up the order, as his runs usually set the pace of the innings. Keeping that in view, Lewis needs to take control from the start to put pressure on the Afghanistan bowling attack. His striking in the Powerplay would be important, as it will give West Indies a strong impetus to post a big total.

Gudakesh Motie

Gudakesh Motie is an experienced cricketer who understands how to bowl in different stages of the game. Being a spinner, the conditions in the UAE are suitable for him, which is why he is an important asset for West Indies. The team expects him to play a lead role in the middle overs, just like Rashid Khan does for the Afghanistan team. There is no doubt that Motie has the ability to trouble Afghanistan batters, so he will remain the key attack bowler for West Indies in the next match.

Probable Playing XI for Afghanistan

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

Probable Playing XI for West Indies

Brandon King (c), Alick Athanaze, Johnson Charles (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Quentin Sampson, Matthew Forde, Khary Pierre, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Ramon Simmonds

Final Words

The upcoming match between Afghanistan vs West Indies promises to be highly competitive, as both teams will look to secure victory by playing hard cricket. Afghanistan will aim to win the match to complete the series sweep, whereas West Indies will try to salvage its pride by ending the series on a high. Considering this, both teams will come up with diverse strategies to win the game, as testing the performances of various players ahead of the T20 World Cup remains a key objective for both sides.