In 2010, Afghanistan and Canada were peers in the "backwaters" of associate cricket. Sixteen years later, they meet at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on equal footing once again, but for all the wrong reasons. Both sides are officially out of the 2026 T20 World Cup Super Eight race, turning Thursday’s clash into a poignant farewell rather than a high-stakes battle.
While Afghanistan famously defied the odds two years ago, the 2026 campaign in a group featuring New Zealand and South Africa left zero margin for error.
Ahmedabad heartbreak: Afghanistan’s tournament arguably pivoted in Ahmedabad, where they lost a Double Super Over thriller against South Africa. A win there would have kept their qualification hopes alive.
Pressure management: Captain Rashid Khan pointed to a lack of "smart decisions" under fire. "When put under pressure, we lose our way," Rashid admitted, noting that the 4-day window to face both New Zealand and South Africa was a brutal scheduling challenge.
Australian warning: Rashid noted that even "big teams" weren't safe, citing Australia’s shock elimination following their loss to Zimbabwe.
When team is under pressure, I feel like we little bit lose our way which in T20 is very hard to come back from that. I feel like those are the things we need to improve playing against big teams in the future
Rashid Khan, Afghanistan Captain
Thursday marks the final game for head coach Jonathan Trott, ending a transformative 3-year stint. Under Trott, Afghanistan evolved from a "dangerous underdog" into a genuine global threat.
Jonathan Trott has taken Afghanistan cricket to a new level. He’s worked incredibly hard on mindset, not just skills. We’ll miss him; he put us on the right path.
Rashid Khan, Afghanistan Captain
Despite their elimination, confirmed on Tuesday after losing to New Zealand, Canada enters the Chepauk with a major confidence boost. 19-year-old Yuvraj Samra etched his name into the history books with a maiden T20 World Cup hundred against the Kiwis, signalling a bright future for the North American side.
