NEW DELHI — India sent a powerful warning in the opening match of their T20I series against Afghanistan, cruising to a dominant seven-wicket victory after Abhishek Sharma produced a breathtaking batting blitz at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Chasing 157 for victory, India reached the target with a remarkable 38 balls remaining, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The biggest story of the night was Abhishek Sharma.
The explosive left-hander smashed 82 runs from just 32 balls, tearing through Afghanistan’s bowling attack with seven fours and seven sixes. His assault gave India complete control of the chase and turned what could have been a competitive contest into a one-sided finish.
India completed the chase in just 13.4 overs, underlining the sheer dominance of Sharma’s innings.
Abhishek Sharma Turns the Match Into a Batting Exhibition
India suffered an early setback when Sanju Samson was dismissed for 10, but Afghanistan’s hopes of building pressure quickly disappeared as Sharma launched a stunning counterattack.
According to reports from the Indian Express, Sharma reached his half-century in only 22 balls on his way to his 12th T20I fifty. His fearless approach against both pace and spin kept Afghanistan constantly under pressure.
Ishan Kishan provided important support with 42 off 33 balls, helping stabilize India’s innings while Sharma unleashed from the other end.
By the time Sharma departed, India were already within touching distance of victory.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma then completed the job as India comfortably crossed the finish line.
Afghanistan Fight Back After Nightmare Start
Earlier, Afghanistan endured a disastrous start after being sent in to bat.
Jasprit Bumrah struck early, dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in the opening over as Afghanistan quickly found themselves under pressure.
The visitors were reduced to just 41-4 during the powerplay, threatening to collapse completely.
But Azmatullah Omarzai and veteran Mohammad Nabi launched an important recovery.
Omarzai remained unbeaten on 64, while Nabi contributed 33, with the pair putting together an 83-run partnership that rescued Afghanistan from a difficult position and gave their bowlers something to defend.
Afghanistan eventually posted 156, setting India a target of 157.
Arshdeep Singh Delivers With the Ball
While Abhishek Sharma stole the spotlight with the bat, Arshdeep Singh played a major role in India’s victory with the ball.
The left-arm pacer finished with impressive figures of 3-19, helping prevent Afghanistan from turning their recovery into an even bigger total.
Bumrah, returning to India’s setup for the series, also made an immediate impact, while India’s bowling unit successfully controlled Afghanistan despite Omarzai’s late resistance.
India Take Control of the Series
The victory gives India a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series, with the second match scheduled for September 15 and the final game on September 17.
All three matches are being played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi as Afghanistan hosts the series in India as part of its Future Tours Program. The arrangement reflects Afghanistan’s long-standing cricketing relationship with India, where the team has hosted several international fixtures in recent years.
The series is also the first bilateral T20I meeting between the two sides since their previous three-match series in January 2024.
Can Afghanistan Respond?
Afghanistan will need a much stronger performance in the second T20I if they hope to keep the series alive.
Their bowling attack, featuring some of the world’s most respected spin talent, struggled to contain India’s aggressive top order. Before the series, much of the attention had focused on how India’s middle order would handle Afghanistan’s spin attack led by Rashid Khan. Instead, Abhishek Sharma’s explosive assault ensured that the contest was largely decided before those middle overs could become a major factor.
For India, the opening victory will provide a major confidence boost as the team continues to build momentum with a squad featuring established stars and emerging talent.
The selectors had named Shreyas Iyer as captain for the series, with a squad including Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah and teenage prospect Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
However, the spotlight after the opening match belongs firmly to Abhishek Sharma.
His 32-ball demolition did more than secure victory.
It sent a message to Afghanistan — and perhaps every other T20 team watching — that India’s batting lineup can change a match in just a few overs.
Now Afghanistan face a crucial question heading into the second T20I:
Can they find a way to stop India’s explosive batting machine before the series slips completely out of their hands?
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