Arshdeep Singh and Abhishek Sharma guided India to an effortless seven‑wicket win over Afghanistan in the opening T20I of the three‑match series at Feroz Shah Kotla. The Indians restricted the visitors to 156 for 8, setting the stage for a comfortable chase.
Arshdeep opened the bowling with 3 for 19, delivering 16 dot balls out of 24 legal deliveries and keeping the Afghan attack in check. His accuracy and variations were key to limiting the opposition to a modest total. Abhishek’s 82 off 32 balls, featuring seven sixes and seven boundaries, sealed the victory. He struck the first six off Fazalhaq Farooqi and followed it with another over long‑off, before smashing a third over mid‑wicket.
The chase unfolded easily for India. Ishan Kishan contributed 42 off 33 balls, while Abhishek’s 32‑ball knock included six fours and seven sixes, dropping the target to just 17 runs when he was dismissed. The partnership between Abhishek and Kishan, who added 121 runs for the second wicket, was instrumental in completing the chase in 13.4 overs.
Earlier in the innings, Jasprit Bumrah had a sharp spell, taking Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck and securing a smart catch at first slip. The spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel contained the Afghan batsmen in the first ten overs, before Omarzai and Nabi added 83 runs for the sixth wicket to push the total past 150. India’s bowlers, led by Arshdeep, finished the match with a convincing performance that left no doubt about their superiority.
