IND vs AFG: Arshdeep, Abhishek power India to 7

IND vs AFG: Arshdeep, Abhishek power India to 7-wicket win over Afghanistan | Cricket News – Business Standard

IND vs AFG: Arshdeep, Abhishek power India to 7-wicket win over Afghanistan

The 157-run chase turned into a walk in the park as Abhishek smashed seven sixes in his 32-ball 84, with India completing the chase in just 13.4 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Anish KumarNew DelhiAdd as Preferred source
Arshdeep Singh choked Afghanistan with relentless accuracy and a slew of variations, while Abhishek Sharma put on a brutal show with the bat as India hardly broke a sweat in their seven-wicket victory in the opening T20I at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.
 
Arshdeep set the platform with superb figures of 3 for 19, sending down 16 dot balls from his 24 deliveries to help India restrict Afghanistan to 156 for 8.
 
The chase turned into a walk in the park as Abhishek smashed seven sixes in his 32-ball 84, with India completing the chase in just 13.4 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. 
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Abhishek ends lean run in style
 
If there were any doubts over Abhishek’s poor run of form, he laid them to rest with a breathtaking display of clean hitting that thrilled the Sunday crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.
 
He added 121 runs for the second wicket with in-form Ishan Kishan, who contributed 42 off 33 balls, after Sanju Samson was dismissed for 10 early in the chase.
 
Abhishek needed little time to get going. He opened his account with a lofted six over cover off Fazalhaq Farooqi before sending Azmatullah Omarzai over long-off. A third six, again off Farooqi, was hammered over mid-wicket as Afghanistan struggled to find any answers. 
 
His 12th T20I fifty came off just 22 balls and was particularly significant after he had failed to cross 20 in his previous six innings. Kishan also grew in confidence, pulling Farooqi for a six as the partnership took complete control.
 
By the time the spinners came into the attack, Abhishek was in full flow, taking Noor Ahmad apart whenever the Afghan left-arm spinner missed his length.
 
His 84 contained seven sixes and seven fours, and when he finally departed, India needed only 17 runs for victory.
 
Arshdeep sets up Afghanistan collapse
 
Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah bowled with his usual sharpness, but it was Arshdeep who stole the show after India captain Shreyas Iyer opted to field.
 
The two spinners, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel, controlled the proceedings through the first 10 overs, with Varun returning 1 for 16 and Axar 1 for 27 from their respective four-over spells.
 
Bumrah, meanwhile, finished with 1 for 26 and also sent down 16 dot balls. He removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a first-ball duck with a delivery that climbed sharply, with Abhishek taking a smart low catch at first slip.
 
At the other end, Arshdeep mixed his pace and variations superbly, striking at crucial moments and never allowing the Afghan batters to free their arms.
 
Afghanistan slip to 43 for 5
 
Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal briefly threatened to get Afghanistan moving before a terrible mix-up brought the captain’s innings to an end.
 
Arshdeep then produced a wide yorker that Atal tried to dig out, only for the ball to find Bumrah at fly slip.
 
Gulbadin Naib fell for two after attempting an ill-advised inside-out shot against Axar Patel and was caught by Nitish Reddy. Varun then continued to attack the stumps and breached Darwish Rasooli’s defence to leave Afghanistan reeling at 43 for 5 after seven overs.
 
Omarzai, Nabi provide late resistance
 
Just when Afghanistan appeared headed for a much smaller total, Azmatullah Omarzai counter-attacked brilliantly. He identified Nitish Reddy as the weaker link in India’s attack and took him on to bring Afghanistan back into the contest.
 
Mohammed Nabi provided valuable support as the pair added 83 runs for the sixth wicket, taking Afghanistan beyond the 150-run mark.
 
Arshdeep, returning for his second spell, eventually broke the partnership by clean bowling Nabi after the batter had hit him for a six.
 
That triggered another mini-collapse. Rashid Khan struggled to get going, making just one off 10 balls as Bumrah and Arshdeep squeezed Afghanistan at the death before he was caught in the deep.
 
Omarzai remained unbeaten on 64 off 44 balls and ensured Afghanistan finished with something to defend. He took Shivam Dube for a couple of sixes in the final over, which went for 21 runs and lifted the total to 156 for 8.
 
India take 1-0 lead
 
Afghanistan had moments of resistance with the ball and Omarzai’s late assault gave them a competitive-looking total, but India’s top order made the chase one-sided.
 
Arshdeep’s precision had already put India in control with the ball, and Abhishek’s explosive 84 ensured there was little drama with the bat.
 
India now lead the three-match series 1-0, with Afghanistan needing a significant response in the next game. 

 
How did Afghanistan recover from 43 for 5?
 
Jasprit Bumrah gave India an immediate breakthrough, having Rahmanullah Gurbaz caught by Abhishek Sharma at slip for a two-ball duck in the opening over.
 
Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal steadied the innings, but a mix-up resulted in the Afghanistan captain being run out for 11, with Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel involved in the dismissal.
 
Atal made 13 before falling to Arshdeep, while Gulbadin Naib and Darwish Rasooli managed two runs each. Axar dismissed Naib and Varun bowled Rasooli as India reduced Afghanistan to 43 for 5.
 
Omarzai and Nabi then gave the innings stability and scoring momentum. Omarzai struck four fours and four sixes, collecting 40 of his 64 runs in boundaries. Nabi supplied two fours and two sixes in his 33.
 
Arshdeep bowled Nabi and also dismissed Rashid Khan, who scored just one off 10 balls. Noor Ahmad was run out by Iyer without scoring, leaving Afghanistan needing another late contribution.
 
Mujeeb ur Rahman provided it with an unbeaten nine off three balls, including two fours, while Omarzai remained at the crease until the end.
 
What are the India and Afghanistan playing 11?
 
India playing 11: Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
 
Afghanistan playing 11: Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
 
Why does the Afghanistan series matter before the Asian Games?
 
The three-match series gives India an opportunity to assess their combination before the Asian Games in Japan. Afghanistan’s squad includes the spin trio of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb ur Rahman.
 
India will also face Japan in a one-off T20I before beginning their Asian Games campaign on September 28.
 
Ahead of the series, Iyer had emphasised the value of facing Afghanistan during India’s preparations.
 
“Leading up to Asian Games, we have got a great opportunity to play against a very quality side. So, looking for a great competition. And yes, fingers crossed, we will deliver to the best of our abilities,” he said.
 
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First Published: Sep 13 2026 | 6:39 PM IST

Source: www.business-standard.com