India secured the T20I series against Afghanistan with a game to spare, clinching a comprehensive seven-wicket win in the second match. After restricting Afghanistan to 159 for 8, the hosts chased down the target in just 14.5 overs, headlined by a rapid 57 off 22 deliveries from Sanju Samson.
Opting to bowl first, India’s bowlers exerted control early. Jasprit Bumrah opened with a maiden over to Ibrahim Zadran, and Arshdeep Singh dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for his second successive duck. Although Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal attempted to stabilize the innings, the visitors struggled to build momentum, reaching 41 for 1 by the end of the Powerplay. Nitish Kumar Reddy proved particularly effective, claiming 3 for 24, while Arshdeep Singh added 2 for 35 to dismantle the middle order.
Key breakthroughs included Nitish dismissing Zadran and Gulbadin Naib, while Ravi Bishnoi accounted for Atal. Despite a late surge from Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, who combined for a 48-run partnership, the Afghan total fell short. Nabi hit a flurry of boundaries before falling to Bumrah, and Rashid’s 28 off 16 was followed by a final-ball six from Noor Ahmad as the innings closed on 159/8.
India’s chase began with a blistering display of power-hitting. Abhishek Sharma set the tone early by targeting Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi, racing to 25 off 14. Sanju Samson accelerated in the fifth over, taking 20 runs off Azmatullah Omarzai. By the end of the Powerplay, India sat comfortably at 82 for 0. The scoring rate remained high until Abhishek was dismissed for 39 off 19, and Samson followed shortly after, having reached his fifty in just 20 balls.
Though Rashid Khan claimed 3 for 36, India’s momentum remained intact. Shreyas Iyer contributed a brief cameo, and Ishan Kishan guided the chase to completion with an unbeaten 38 off 23. Kishan dispatched Noor Ahmad for a maximum and finished the game with back-to-back boundaries, securing the win with 31 balls remaining. This victory gives India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The report also notes that while Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan provided support with useful 30s as India needed only 14.5 overs to reach the target, winning by 7 wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, samson then powered the chase with a blitzy knock. The report also notes that while he also put away Mohammad Nabi for a couple of sixes as he raced away to 25 off 14, abhishek was his explosive self as he began India’s chase with two fours off Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the opening over. The report also notes that samson, who was on 8 off 10, surpassed his opening partner with three fours and a six off Azmatullah Omarzai in the fifth over, which yielded 20. The report also notes that bowled by Nabi, was even more profitable as Abhishek’s six was followed by 6, 4, 4, 6 for Samson, powering India to 82 for 0 after six overs, the final over of the Powerplay. The report also notes that abhishek also struck a maximum off Rashid Khan but his innings ended soon after as the left-hander departed for 39 off 19. The report also notes that in the same over, Samson reached a 20-ball fifty with a boundary, struck a six after that, and was then dismissed by Rashid, leaving India at 99 for 2 after 7 overs. The report also notes that moving to 117 for 2 at the halfway stage, but the carnage in the Powerplay ensured India were in pole position.
