India secured the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan with a commanding seven-wicket win in the second encounter, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead. A disciplined bowling effort, headlined by Nitish Kumar Reddy and Arshdeep Singh, restricted the visitors to 159 for 8 in their 20 overs. In response, Sanju Samson sparked a clinical chase, smashing a 22-ball 57 to help India hunt down the target in just 14.5 overs.
Opting to bowl first, India’s attack made immediate inroads as Jasprit Bumrah opened with a maiden over before Arshdeep Singh removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck. Despite Ibrahim Zadran’s efforts to stabilize the innings, Afghanistan struggled to accelerate early, reaching 41 for 1 by the end of the Powerplay. The middle overs saw a flurry of wickets as Nitish Reddy claimed 3 for 24, including the crucial dismissal of Zadran, while Ravi Bishnoi accounted for Sediqullah Atal. Arshdeep Singh also contributed with two wickets, finishing with 2 for 35.
Afghanistan found a late boost through a 48-run stand between Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan. Rashid, who scored 28 off 16, took the attack to the Indian pacers, hitting Arshdeep for 16 runs in the 18th over. Bumrah eventually ended the partnership by dismissing Nabi. Despite Noor Ahmad striking a final-ball six off Nitish to push Afghanistan to 159 for 8, the total proved insufficient against India’s aggressive top order.
India’s pursuit of the 160-run target was electric from the start. Abhishek Sharma took the initiative, hitting Mujeeb Ur Rahman for consecutive boundaries and striking Mohammad Nabi for two sixes during his 19-ball 39. Samson, initially watchful, accelerated in the fifth over, taking 20 runs off Azmatullah Omarzai. The final Powerplay over was particularly brutal as the pair combined for a series of boundaries to leave India at 82 for 0 after six overs.
Although Rashid Khan clawed back with three wickets, including the scalps of Abhishek and Samson—who reached his fifty in just 20 deliveries—the result remained firmly in India’s control. Ishan Kishan provided stability with an unbeaten 38 off 23 balls, featuring a late flourish against Mujeeb and Rashid. Alongside Shreyas Iyer, who hit a six before his dismissal, Kishan navigated the target comfortably. India reached 163 for 3 with 31 balls to spare, wrapping up a comprehensive victory. 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.
