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Canada Bowl First vs Afghanistan in Dhaliwal's Final T20 World Cup Game

Canada won the toss and chose to bowl first against Afghanistan in their final Group D match of the T20 World Cup. The match marks the international retirement of Canadian veteran batter Navneet Dhaliwal, with Ravinderpal Singh also set to retire. Both teams made one change to their playing elevens, with Canada's captain citing the dew factor as a reason to bowl. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan expressed a desire to finish the tournament well and make the nation proud.

Key Points: Canada vs Afghanistan T20 WC: Dhaliwal's Final Match

  • Canada elects to field first
  • Navneet Dhaliwal's international retirement
  • Ravinderpal Singh also retiring
  • Afghanistan aims to finish strong
  • Both teams make one change each
2 min read

T20 WC: Canada elect to bowl first against Afghanistan in final Group D clash

Canada bowls first against Afghanistan in final Group D clash. Veteran Navneet Dhaliwal plays his last international cricket match. Get playing XIs and captains' quotes.

"s.QUOTE: Final game for them. It's a very sad moment for Cricket Canada. Both of them are legends. - Dilpreet Bajwa"

Chennai, Feb 19

Canada won the toss and elected to bowl first against Afghanistan in their final Group D clash of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday. The match also marks veteran batter Navneet Dhaliwal's final game in international cricket.

Pacer Kaleem Sana is back in the Canadian playing eleven, in place of Shivam Sharma. "The wicket didn't change much in the last game, and also because of the dew factor. We have to fight stronger with the ball and not concede too many loose balls," said Canada skipper Dilpreet Bajwa.

He also revealed that apart from Dhaliwal, Ravinderpal Singh, who is not in the playing eleven, is also retiring from international cricket after Thursday's clash. "Final game for them. It's a very sad moment for Cricket Canada. Both of them are legends. One is our run machine, and one is our energy machine, so we are gonna miss them, and hopefully it is a good opportunity for upcoming youngsters in Canada," added Bajwa.

Afghanistan too have one change, with Abdullah Amadzai coming in for left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad. "Not the kind of end we wanted in this competition, and I feel we have those skills, but just that game against South Africa put us down. We need to make the nation proud and want to finish off well," said captain Rashid Khan.

Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (captain), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman, and Abdullah Ahmadzai

Canada: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (captain), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Saad Bin Zafar, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskarandeep Singh, Kaleem Sana, and Ansh Patel

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Bowling first at Chepauk is a smart call considering the dew later on. Canada's strategy makes sense, but Afghanistan's batting lineup looks strong on paper. Should be a good contest!
A
Aman W
Rashid Khan's words show true leadership. Even when they are out, they want to play for pride. That's the spirit! Afghanistan has won so many hearts in this World Cup already. 🇦🇫
S
Sarah B
It's great to see Associate nations getting this platform. Canada has some talented players of Indian origin. The diaspora is really boosting cricket in North America. Good for the global game!
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Vikram M
Honestly, the group stage format feels a bit long. Some of these final games don't have much context for the tournament. But respect to both teams for playing with passion. 🏏
K
Karthik V
"Run machine and energy machine" – what a lovely way by Captain Bajwa to describe the retiring players. Hope Dhaliwal gets a big score in his final innings. All the best to both teams!

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