In a thrilling T20 encounter, India showcased their batting dominance and clinched a convincing victory against Afghanistan, securing the series with a game to spare. Afghanistan, batting first on a good batting surface, posted a challenging total of 172 runs, thanks to a spirited effort led by Gulbadin Naib and late cameos. India in response showed intent from the first delivery, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube scored fifties in a dominant chase, guiding the team to victory in just 15.4 overs.
Gulbadin Naib’s Half-Century and Late Flourish
After being put into bat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz started Afghanistan’s innings aggressively, dispatching a half-volley from Arshdeep Singh for a boundary in the opening over. He continued his attacking approach with a straight six off Mukesh Kumar. Despite the early flair, Afghanistan faced a setback in the third over as Ravi Bishnoi dismissed Gurbaz, caught at mid-on. Gulbadin Naib then took charge, showcasing positive intent by hitting consecutive fours off Mukesh and later pulling a six against the legspinner.
Axar Patel contributed to Afghanistan’s woes by claiming Ibrahim’s wicket, restricting their scoring rate. Despite losing their openers early, Afghanistan reached 58/2 by the end of the powerplay. Axar Patel bowled an exceptional spell, finishing with figures of 2-17, and picked up a crucial breakthrough by dismissing the set Gulbadin Naib.
Mohammad Nabi provided resistance, surviving a dropped catch in the 13th over, but eventually fell to Ravi Bishnoi, caught by Rinku Singh at long-off. Late cameos from Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat lifted Afghanistan past the 170-run mark. India’s bowlers, especially Axar Patel and Bishnoi, ensured that the target was not unattainable.
Yashasvi Jaiswal- Shivam Dube Show Secures Series Win For India
In response, India displayed a dominant batting performance, led by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube, chasing down the target of 173 in just 15.4 overs. Despite Rohit Sharma’s early dismissal for a golden duck, Jaiswal and Virat Kohli provided a confident start, raising a quick-fire half-century stand. Jaiswal’s explosive innings of 68 off 34 balls set the tone, featuring five fours and six sixes. Kohli making a return to T20Is for the first time since 2022 played very unlike him playing slogs which again confirms that the team wants to play an aggressive brand of cricket. The Senior batter looked to score as many boundaries as possible and timed the ball crisply.