India secured a comprehensive T20 series victory over Afghanistan on Tuesday, clinching the three-match contest with a match to spare. Following a seven-wicket win in the opener on Sunday, India replicated the exact margin of victory at the same venue to take an unassailable lead.
Opting to field first, India’s bowlers quickly dismantled the Afghanistan batting order. Arshdeep Singh struck early, removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a second consecutive duck. While skipper Ibrahim Zadran provided some stability with a 33-ball 37, the team faltered during the middle overs, collapsing from 59-2 to 100-6. All-rounder Nitish Reddy proved pivotal, finishing with impressive figures of 3-24 from his three overs.
Afghanistan attempted a late recovery through a 48-run partnership between Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, which lasted 28 balls. Khan contributed 28 runs off 16 deliveries, while Nabi added 20 from 14, eventually pushing the total to 159-8 after their allotted 20 overs.
India’s response was explosive, with openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma racing to 82-0 during the powerplay. Their partnership produced 88 runs in just 38 balls, setting the tone for the chase. Sharma smashed four sixes in his 19-ball 39 before being dismissed by Rashid Khan in the seventh over.
Samson continued his aggressive display, hammering seven fours and four sixes on his way to 57 off 22 balls. This performance marked his first half-century since the T20 World Cup final, where he earned player-of-the-tournament honors. Although Khan also claimed Samson’s wicket in the same over, India’s momentum remained unstoppable.
The visitors reached 100 runs in just 7.1 overs, marking the joint second-quickest milestone for the side since 2024. Despite Rashid Khan claiming the wicket of skipper Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma remained composed, finishing unbeaten on 38 and 15 respectively to guide India to 163-3 in 14.5 overs. The report also notes that his opening partner Abhishek Sharma scored 39 off 19 balls – including four sixes – as the duo amassed 88 off only 38 balls. The report also notes that in a unique arrangement, and for the second game running, it finished with an under-par score after India won the toss and opted to field, afghanistan is playing host in this series. The report also notes that samson and Sharma set a hectic pace as India raced to 82-0 in the powerplay.
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