India secured a dominant 7-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the 1st T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
After electing to bowl, the Indian bowling unit set the tone for the match with an outstanding performance in the first few overs. Jasprit Bumrah struck in his first over (1/26) to set the tone, while Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/19. Spinners Varun Chakaravarthy (1/16) and Axar Patel (1/27) held down the middle order well. Although medium-pacers Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube conceded runs late in the innings, India’s primary bowling attack held Afghanistan well below par.
India breezed through the 157-run chase, scoring 82/1 in the powerplay. Despite losing Sanju Samson (10) early, Abhishek Sharma unleashed a scorching attack, hitting a 22-ball fifty and smashing a game-changing 84 runs off only 32 balls, including 7 fours and 7 sixes. Ishan Kishan provided valuable support, scoring an undefeated 42 off 33 balls. India’s top order aggressively attacked the boundaries, ensuring the target was surpassed with 38 balls remaining.
Afghanistan’s top-order collapsed, falling to 43/5 in the first seven overs as a result of poor shot selection and a costly run-out. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz went for a duck, while Ibrahim Zadran (11) and Sediqullah Atal (13) both failed to convert their starts. Azmatullah Omarzai and veteran Mohammad Nabi saved the innings with an 83-run partnership. Omarzai delivered a standout performance, anchoring the side with an unbeaten 64 off 44 balls and taking 21 runs off the final over to help the team to a respectable 156/8.
Afghanistan’s bowling attack, defending a small total on a flat field, were unable to contain India’s strong powerplay onslaught. Frontline pacers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman were dismissed early on. Rashid Khan, a world-class leg-spinner, was unable to break the partnership, giving 34 runs without getting any wickets. Mohammad Nabi (2/28) and Azmatullah Omarzai (1/14) were the only ones to get breakthroughs, although the visitors were utterly outplayed due to their inability to generate pressure or take early wickets.
With this win, the Men in Blue take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Scorecard:
Afghanistan: 156/8, Overs 20, Azmatullah Omarzai 64*, Arshdeep Singh 3/19
India: 157/3, Overs 13.4, Abhishek Sharma 82, Mohammad Nabi 2/28
