The Indian cricket team has a reputation that rarely dies down as they get ready to take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I cricket series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 13. According to records, the Men in Blue hold a perfect record against their neighboring countries on the international stage. But for now, as the Asian Games are about to start in Japan, captain Shreyas Iyer and his men opt out of the chance to sit back and relax with the game's stars.

Despite having an array of famous superstars, India has a few problems going into this T20I cricket match against Afghanistan, one that their neighbors are well aware of.

The following issues require Indian management's immediate attention

The Abhishek Sharma Conundrum

Back in his early years as a cricketer, he was seen as a fearless answer to India's Powerplay aspirations, but Abhishek Sharma finds his career taking a sharp turn as he attempts to avoid the mid-career slide.

Whilst a fine 2026 IPL campaign provided a minor reprieve, his international form has proven equally as inconsistent, managing a mere 191 runs in his previous 10 T20I innings at an abysmal average of 19.10.

The recent series against Zimbabwe brought more bad news for the opener after fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani had dismissed Sharma three times in a row in the three-match series, scoring a meager 11 runs in total.

Although a prolific domestic season in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cup could provide answers to his current woes, the luxury of time is no longer on his side, with young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi and recalled Sanju Samson both waiting in the wings to take his spot at the top of the order.

The new-ball threat of Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman will need to be neutralized by Sharma if he is to stay in the side.

A Depleted Bowling Unit

Following a bruised Test tour of Sri Lanka, fitness worries threaten to derail India's hopes once again.

With premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya's absence stretching on, other fast-bowling all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana will need to prove their fitness in the coming days, with both currently undergoing late fitness tests.

The worry for Virat Kohli and Co., however, extends to the main attack as Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar are both recovering from injuries suffered in the recent ODIs against England.

With only Arshdeep Singh remaining as a fit specialist seamer at the start of camp, India runs the risk of having to scramble around for reinforcements if any of their quicks fail to pass the medical tests.

The Search for a Death-Over Enforcer

Despite a fine T20 World Cup campaign, one slight flaw in the modern Indian setup has been their inability to produce a hitter at the death.

The post-World Cup era has proven particularly troublesome, with the retirement of Pandya and the omission of Rinku Singh following the Zimbabwe series leaving India without a natural finisher in their innings.

Although Shivam Dube can provide the occasional six in the death, the lower order has struggled to contribute with the bat in recent fixtures.

Tilak Varma has on occasion found himself pushed down the order to occupy the deep middle with his power-hitting, but it is a task that has so far failed to bring rewards.

Capable all-rounders such as Axar Patel and Washington Sundar both fill the role of lower-order reinforcement, but asking them to finish limited-overs innings with a six-hitting is an ask that may prove too much for the tailenders in the coming fixtures.

Without a natural closure in their ranks, the ability for India to maximize their scores against a feared Afghan death-bowling attack will be put under immediate scrutiny in New Delhi.