Match Summary: India comfortably defeated Afghanistan by 7 wickets in a T20I match held in Delhi on Tuesday, achieving a series victory with this win.
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Location: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
In what was another dominating performance, India chased down a target of 160 runs in just 14.5 overs, sealing an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series against Afghanistan. The match saw Afghanistan struggle to make a substantial total, finishing with 159 runs, which was only slightly better than their previous outing.
Though the day had a good turnout with around 24,215 spectators, including several Afghan supporters, the match turned out to be another disappointment for them as Afghanistan’s batting failed to put enough runs on the board.
Exceptional Performance by Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson shone brightly, scoring 57 runs off 22 balls. This marked his first half-century since the T20 World Cup final earlier this year. The Chennai Super Kings player was not going to miss this chance to showcase his skills again, hitting four sixes and seven boundaries. Samson appeared composed, initially taking his time before launching into a brilliant display of batting, reminiscent of his excellent form during the T20 World Cup.
After a tough period of inconsistency, this performance should boost both Samson’s confidence and the team’s morale. With another talented player, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, vying for a spot, this innings was crucial for Samson to maintain his place in the squad.
Samson started slow, allowing Abhishek Sharma, who continued his great form from the previous match, to score aggressively. Abhishek’s explosive batting style led him to add 39 runs off just 19 balls, including four sixes. Their partnership was essential, as they put together 82 runs in the powerplay, putting India firmly in control.
Even with Rashid Khan taking down both Samson and Abhishek in quick succession, their early contributions laid a strong foundation for the other players like Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma, who guided India to an easy victory.
Young Gun Nitish Kumar Reddy Shines
Earlier in the game, Nitish Kumar Reddy impressed with the ball, grabbing three wickets for 24 runs in three overs, marking his best performance to date. Having faced fitness issues in the past, he looked sharp and confident, taking the crucial wicket of Afghanistan’s captain Ibrahim Zadran, who had been a strong performer up to that point.
Nitish followed this up with another wicket, dismissing Gulbadin Naib, and capped off his excellent spell by taking Rashid Khan’s wicket in the final over. His noteworthy bowling helped restrict Afghanistan’s scoring, especially when they seemed to be finding some momentum.
Even though Shivam Dube had a quiet outing with just one over bowled, the other Indian bowlers made their contributions, with notable performances from Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel, who each took crucial wickets.
Afghanistan’s batting struggled once again, with their top-order failing to make significant impacts. Minor contributions from lower-order players like Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan, and Mohammad Nabi barely got Afghanistan to a respectable total.
As India looks forward to the series finale on Thursday, they are set to test their bench strength, while Afghanistan will need a notable turnaround in performance to secure their first T20I victory against India.
