India Beat Afghanistan by 7 Wickets: Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh Shine in Delhi
India started the three-match T20I series with an impressive beginning with a seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in New Delhi, at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, September 13, 2026. After restricting Afghanistan to 156/8 in 20 overs, India chased down the target in just 13.4 overs, finishing on 157/3 with 38 balls to spare. The win helped India put up a 1-0 record in their three-game series and spoke volumes before the remaining games. The highlight of the day was the standout batting by Abhishek Sharma, while Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler. Afghanistan Struggle After Choosing to Bat India skipper Shreyas Iyer got the toss and bowled first. The move was highly fruitful as India's fresh side was able to inflict significant pressure on the Afghan side right away. Jasprit Bumrah was a real force in the first over as he sent Rahanee Rahmanullah off for a duck. The powerplay saw Afghanistan failing to build a partnership and falling wickets all around. Sediqullah Atal went 13 before being caught by Arshdeep Singh and Ibrahim Zadran was caught by 11. Also, Gulbadin Naib and Darwish Rasooli were now on the cheap and the Afghan side was in trouble at 41 for four. The Indian bowlers were well disciplined. Arshdeep's pace was nicely blended and he did often throw variations to unsettle the Afghan batsmen. His 4 over 3/19 was the best effort in terms of bowling figures of the innings. Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy were also important with one wicket each. Their costliness ensured that Afghanistan failed to develop any momentum in the middle overs. Omarzai and Nabi Rescue Afghanistan Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi came up with a significant recovery just when Afghanistan looked set for a very low total. Omarzai was a mature and aggressive knock, who was unbeaten on 64 off 44 balls. He played with control, attacking the ball at the right moment and managed to keep the game of Afghanistan alive. Nabi was a great help to him with his 33. The duo struck up a partnership that netted 83 runs, turning Afghanistan's ship around from danger to a competitive score. It was their partnership which was crucial as Afghanistan had been reduced to 43/5. The visitors might not have reached 120 without their help. Eventually, Arshdeep broke up the partnership and sent Nabi off before taking Khalid and Rashid Khan with him. Eventually, Afghanistan were bowled out at 156/8 after 20 overs. India Make Fast Start during the Chase. India's pursuit got a headwind from them with an early blow as Sanju Samson was bowled out for 10 early. But the early dismissal had little impact on the Indians' morale. Then came Abhishek Sharma at the helm of the innings. The left-handed opener attacked the Afghan bowlers from the beginning, finding boundaries all around the ground. His intrepid style put a new spin on the hunt. Abhishek reached the age of 50 in 22 deliveries and still attacked after that. He eventually found 82 runs on 32 deliveries in the process, with seven sixes thrown in. He was well over 250 and one of the most explosive innings of the match. Abhishek Sharma Takes the Game Away Most impressive part of Abhishek's performance was the way he attacked the ball. He didn't give the Afghan bowlers a chance to relax, as he immediately put them on the defensive. Sixes were plentiful and the Afghanistan attack was having trouble getting a handle on him. The scenario was also ideal for a speedy chase for India with Abhishek's knock. But his aggressive approach to the ball was not to be a concern with the required run rate. He eventually walked away after scoring 82 but it was by then that India had completely taken control of the game. Ishan Kishan provides good assistance Ishan Kishan was also in good form for India in the chase. Kishan anchored the innings in the wake of the Abhishek's attack and also got the bases when they popped up in the middle while taking the wickets in rotation. He earned 42 from 33 deliveries and went on to form a crucial 121-run second wicket stand with Abhishek. That partnership effectively ended Afghanistan's hopes of making a comeback. After Abhishek went for his wicket, Mohammad Nabi added two tallies of Kishan. But the damage was done already, however. Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma Take it to the Loppers. India were looking for just a few runs and captain Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma didn't find any problem in completing the target. India are 157/3 in 13.4 overs with 38 balls to spare.India are 157/3 in 13.4 overs and have a head of 38 balls. It showed the contrast between the two sides. Afghanistan had done a lot to achieve 156 after their early defeat but the formidable batting line up of India made it look a relatively modest target. Arshdeep Singh heads India's bowling on the rampage.Arshdeep Singh is leading the Indian attack. Arshdeep Singh was surely a crucial bowler for India. His four over spell allowed him to take three wickets with just 19 runs and also his 16 dot balls from 24 legal deliveries. His ability in the first order to develop flexibility and accuracy, made life difficult for the Afghanistan lower and middle order. Bumrah's performances were also extremely useful as he got rid of Gurbaz at the early stage. He brought in experience and control in the Indian bowling side with his return to the attack. Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel also contributed with inexpensive deliveries and one apiece. Afghanistan's Fighting Spirit Though defeated, Afghanistan has some positives to take from the match. The best positive was Omarzai's 64 (no decimals). His calm demeanor when Afghanistan conceded five wickets for 43 runs in the match showed his good temperament. Nabi also to his credit for his 33-run partnership with Omarzai. But in the coming match, however, Afghanistan will have to perform better with the bat. The loss of wickets in the powerplay gave them an extreme challenge in the middle order and they had to find the middle order almost from scratch after the loss of two wickets in the opening session. Bowling, too, was also not up to the mark against the attacking spin-bowling of India, especially in the initial stages of the chase. Take advantage of early versions of the newest series of books. India is now 1-0 ahead of Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series with seven wickets to take in the match. The next match will be held at the same venue in New Delhi on September 15.The win will give India a good boost of confidence. Both departments saw the team in good form, with the bowlers finding their form after a tough spell for Afghanistan and the batters finding the target easy and turning it into an 87-run partnership for the first time in the history of the series.
Abhishek Sharma's return to explosive form will definitely be a delight for the Indian team management. His 82 off 32 balls proved that he can turn the tide of a T20 game in a few over in a match.
Individual Highlights
Abhishek Sharma – 82 off 32: The show-stopper as he hit seven sixes and a sensational strike-rate.
Ishan Kishan (42 off 33): Played well and was part of a 121-run stand with Abhishek.
The leading wicket taker for India and a vital man to keep Afghanistan under check, Arshdeep Singh (3/19).
Azmatullah Omarzai (64 off 44): Played a sterling recovery innings when Afghanistan had been bowled out for a large loss of wickets early.
Mohammad Nabi – 33: Very instrumental in Afghanistan's recovery with Omarzai.
Jasprit Bumrah – 1/26: Early and off Gurbaz to set India on an ideal path.
Conclusion
India's seven-wicket win over Afghanistan was a huge one, thanks to the dominance of one side in the critical moments of the day. Despite an early collapse, they managed to build a respectable 156/8, but Afghanistan's batting line-up took a setback when Amir Ahmad Shirawi (28) and Mohammad Ali Rahimi (27) were dismissed.Afghanistan's batting line-up suffered a setback after they collapsed early, but they managed to reach a respectable 156/8 with a 33-run stand between Omarzai and Nabi.
In India, it was a far more decided reaction. Arshdeep Singh's sharp 3/19 kept Afghanistan in check and Abhishek Sharma's sensational 82 from 32 put the affairs of the chase on the back burner. Ishan Kishan (42) and a steady dismissal of the middle order from the Indians, saw the target met in 13.4 overs.
India will be coming into the second T20I with a 1-0 series advantage. Meanwhile, Afghanistan will have to find a solution to their poor first half and how to neutralise India's aggressive first half style.
Finally, the opening test was India's for the young attacking batting and disciplined side, as Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh were the leading lights of an impressive seven-wicket win.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan 156/8 in 20 overs (Azmatullah Omarzai 64 off 44, Mohammad Nabi 33 off 27; Arshdeep Singh 3-19) lost to India 157/3 in 13.4 overs (Abhishek Sharma 82 off 32, Ishan Kishan 42 off 33; Mohammad Nabi 2-28) by 7 wickets.