India Clinch T20I Series with Dominant Win Over Afghanistan

India 163 for 3 (Samson 57, Abhishek 39, Kishan 38*, Rashid 3-36) beat Afghanistan 159 for 8 (Zadran 37, Reddy 3-24) by seven wickets

In a remarkable display of consistency, the match unfolded much like the series opener. Shreyas Iyer continued his impressive toss-winning record, securing his 11th call in 12 international outings, and opted to bowl first. Afghanistan understood the necessity of posting a competitive total, but India’s disciplined bowling attack left them with little room for error. Lacking any significant slice of luck, the Afghan batters found wickets falling whenever they attempted to accelerate. Ultimately, a late surge from Rashid Khan propelled them to 159, just three runs more than their score in the previous game.Under ideal batting conditions at the compact Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, a target of 159 was deemed highly chaseable. India executed their pursuit with even greater authority this time, as both Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma played blistering innings despite Afghanistan’s tactical adjustments. Samson smashed a furious 57 off just 21 deliveries—his highest score since the World Cup—while Abhishek contributed a rapid 39 off 19 balls, steering the hosts to a comfortable victory in merely 14.5 overs.

With this comprehensive victory, India sealed the three-match series 2-0, taking an unassailable lead with one game still remaining.

Bumrah, Arshdeep Set the Tone

Once again, the Indian pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh laid the foundation with the new ball. Bumrah showcased his full array of variations, including sharp yorkers, to deliver an imposing maiden over. Having faced eight scoreless deliveries, Rahmanullah Gurbaz was forced into a low-percentage shot, top-edging Arshdeep straight to mid-on. This dismissal marked Gurbaz’s second duck of the series, setting a dominant tone for India’s bowling attack.Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran, after surviving the Bumrah maiden, found himself under constant pressure to accelerate the scoring rate. Despite relying on several mishits that luckily went to boundary ropes, the innings crawled to a modest 51 for 1 after the first eight overs.

Wickets Begin to Fall

The breakthrough was inevitable as Afghanistan sought to increase their scoring rate. Upon sighting the fifth bowler, Nitish Kumar Reddy, the intent to attack backfired. Zadran’s best-connected shot was caught by deep midwicket, bringing his aggressive innings to a close at 37 runs off 33 deliveries.

Nitish Kumar Reddy picked up three wickets•AFP/Getty Images

Ravi Bishnoi, stepping in for the injured Varun Chakravarthy, dismissed the left-handed Sediqullah Atal. Shortly after, Gulbadin Naib fell to a sharp slower legcutter from Reddy, resulting in a rapid collapse of three wickets in as many overs.

Axar Patel had an opportunity to secure a fourth wicket early, but Ravi Bishnoi dropped a low catch to deny the dismissal of Azmatullah Omarzai. Axar eventually succeeded in catching Omarzai in his final over, though not before Omarzai and Darwaish Rasooli smashed 13 runs off the solitary over bowled by Shivam Dube.

Rashid Fights Back

With the middle order in tatters, captain Shreyas Iyer stuck to his strategy of utilizing his primary bowlers before turning to part-time options for the final over. Rashid Khan, however, ensured he did not require any part-timers, charging aggressively and utilizing the crease to plunder 10 and 16 runs from the 17th and 18th overs, respectively. Despite his aggressive intent, he was unable to capitalize fully in the 20th over, as a superb diving catch by Axar Patel—who has now had two catches dropped off his bowling this series—dismissed him for a quick 28 off 16 balls.

Samson, Abhishek Put Game to Bed

In a puzzling tactical decision, Afghanistan’s leading new-ball bowler, Fazalhaq Farooqi, was kept out of the attack until the 13th over, despite not having batted and facing minimal risk of injury.

With Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad reluctant to bowl during the powerplay, Afghanistan relied on the finger spin and gentle medium pace of Azmatullah Omarzai. This proved to be easy pickings for Samson and Abhishek, who targeted the boundaries with only two fielders stationed outside the 30-yard circle.

Abhishek Sharma once again took charge of the early proceedings, striking the first two deliveries he faced for boundaries through square cover off Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The defining aspect of his explosive innings, however, was a trio of massive sixes hit over long-on off Mohammad Nabi, showcasing his raw power.

Sanju Samson, after taking nine deliveries to find the boundary ropes, quickly began matching Abhishek’s aggressive intent and eventually surpassed him. He dismantled Omarzai’s bowling, but his standout shot was a commanding back-foot six over long-on off Nabi, carrying the powerplay score to a formidable 82 without loss.

Rashid Khan eventually managed to dismiss both openers shortly after being targeted for sixes, but the damage was already done by the time he entered the attack. Ishan Kishan then ensured a smooth finish, guiding the hosts home without any further complications.

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