Sanju Samson
Abhishek Sharma
Tilak Varma
Shreyas Iyer
Shivam Dube
Ishan Kishan
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Azmatullah Omarzai
Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Mohammad Nabi
Rashid Khan
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Ibrahim Zadran
Sediqullah Atal
Darwish Rasooli
Noor ul Rahman
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Jasprit Bumrah
Yash Ravisingh Thakur
Axar Patel
Ravi Bishnoi
India's thunderous 108 from Abhishek Sharma turned the match into a spectacle within the first ten overs, setting the tone for a 127‑run demolition of Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday, 17 September.
Match Summary
Winning the toss, India elected to bat first under mostly cloudy skies with a humidity of 71% and a temperature hovering around 29.2 °C. The openers got off to a solid start, but the real fireworks began when Sanju Samson struck a quick 50 off 35 balls, stabilising the innings after early wickets. The momentum shifted dramatically when Abhishek Sharma arrived at the crease. In a blistering display, Sharma smashed 108 runs off just 34 deliveries, peppering the boundary with 12 fours and 9 sixes. India posted a mammoth total of 221/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Afghanistan's chase never found rhythm. Opening with Ibrahim Zadran, who managed 25 off 16 balls, the side struggled against disciplined Indian bowling. Nitish Kumar Reddy, the lone Afghan bowler to make a mark, claimed 3 wickets for 25 runs in his four overs, while Azmatullah Omarzai's tight spell of 2/27 in three overs restricted the flow of runs. Afghanistan were bowled out for 94 in just 14.1 overs, handing India a comprehensive 127‑run victory.
Key Performances
Abhishek Sharma (India) – 108 runs off 34 balls, 12 fours, 9 sixes. His aggressive intent set a new benchmark for T20I batting in the series.
Sanju Samson (India) – 50 runs off 35 balls, anchoring the innings after early setbacks.
Azmatullah Omarzai (India) – 2/27 in 3 overs, providing crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs.
Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan) – 25 runs off 16 balls, the top‑score for Afghanistan but insufficient to chase the target.
Nitish Kumar Reddy (Afghanistan) – 3/25 in 4 overs, the most effective bowler for the visitors.
Turning Points
The match hinged on three decisive moments. First, the partnership between Samson and Sharma, which turned a modest 50/2 into a commanding platform. Second, Sharma's on‑fire century, which not only accelerated the scoring rate but also demoralised the Afghan bowlers. Finally, the early wickets of Zadran and the subsequent collapse triggered by Reddy’s disciplined spell ensured Afghanistan could not recover, sealing the result well before the final over.
Series Implications
With this win, India stretches its dominance in the head‑to‑head record to 10‑0 against Afghanistan in all formats. The massive margin reinforces India's confidence ahead of the upcoming series fixtures and underlines the depth of its batting line‑up, especially the emergence of Abhishek Sharma as a potential match‑winner in the shortest format. For Afghanistan, the loss highlights the need to bolster both top‑order stability and death‑over bowling if they hope to compete in future T20I encounters.
Fans can look forward to the next clash in the "Afghanistan vs India in India 2026" series, where the stakes will be higher and the performances even more crucial.