Source Aljajeera
NEW DELHI — An electric 82 from opener Abhishek Sharma powered India to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the opening T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, wrapping up a 157-run chase with 38 balls to spare.
Chasing 157 for victory, India made quick work of the target, reaching 157/3 in just 13.4 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Abhishek-Kishan Partnership Decimates Target
After Sanju Samson departed early for 10, Abhishek launched a blistering counterattack alongside Ishan Kishan. The left-handed opener brought up his half-century in just 22 deliveries before finishing with 82 off 32 balls, studded with seven boundaries and seven towering sixes.
Abhishek and Kishan stitched together an explosive 121-run stand off only 53 deliveries for the second wicket, taking the game completely out of Afghanistan’s reach. By the time veteran off-spinner Mohammad Nabi removed both set batters in quick succession, India required only five runs to win. Skipper Shreyas Iyer (8*) and Tilak Varma (3*) comfortably knocked off the remaining runs.
Early Wreckage and Omarzai’s Fightback
Earlier in the evening, India’s bowling attack justified Iyer’s decision to bowl first by reducing Afghanistan to 43/5 inside the first seven overs. Jasprit Bumrah made an immediate impression in his international return, striking on his second legal delivery to remove Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck.
Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh broke the backbone of the Afghan top order, returning standout figures of 3/19 from his four overs.
Afghanistan avoided a total collapse courtesy of a counter-attacking 83-run partnership between Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi. Omarzai anchored the revival with an unbeaten 64 off 44 balls (featuring four boundaries and four sixes), while Nabi contributed a steady 33. A late 21-run flourish in the final over pushed Afghanistan to 156/8, though the total proved far from enough against India’s batting firepower.
Brief Scores:
Afghanistan: 156/8 in 20 overs (Azmatullah Omarzai 64*, Mohammad Nabi 33; Arshdeep Singh 3/19)
India: 157/3 in 13.4 overs (Abhishek Sharma 82, Ishan Kishan 42; Mohammad Nabi 2/28)
Result: India won by 7 wickets
