Fans Hail Abhishek Sharma as India Thrash Afghanistan in 1st T20I

  • September 13, 2026

India launched their home series against Afghanistan in 2026 with a dominant performance, securing a seven-wicket triumph over the visitors in the first T20I match held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Upon winning the toss, the hosts elected to field first, restricting Afghanistan to a total of 156/8 within their 20 overs. The home side comfortably chased down the target, cruising to 157/3 in a mere 13.4 overs.

While Afghanistan managed to rebuild their innings following a shaky start thanks to a vital stand between Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi, India’s reply was completely dictated by a blistering knock from Abhishek Sharma. The dynamic left-handed batsman blasted 82 runs from just 32 balls, steering the host nation to a comfortable win with substantial time remaining.

Afghanistan bounce back following initial losses

Sent in to bat first, the visitors faced immediate difficulties at the crease. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a duck after facing just two balls, while Ibrahim Zadran contributed a brief 11 runs off 10 balls. Although Sediqullah Atal chipped in with 13 off 13 deliveries, the quick departures of Gulbadin Naib and Darwish Rasooli for two runs each left the batting side reeling early on.

The Indian bowling unit applied relentless pressure through tight and accurate spells, led by an exceptional display from Arshdeep Singh. The left-arm fast bowler picked up three wickets while giving away a mere 19 runs in his four-over quota. Jasprit Bumrah provided excellent support with figures of 1/26, and Varun Chakaravarthy registered an economical spell of 1/16 from his four overs.

Resilient stand by Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi steadies the innings

As Afghanistan found it hard to gather momentum, Omarzai stepped up with a brilliant counter-attacking performance to breathe life back into their innings. The talented all-rounder compiled a valuable 64 off 44 balls, smashing four boundaries and four maximums to lay the groundwork for a defendable score. Nabi played an exceptional supporting role, chipping in with a 27-ball 33 that featured a pair of fours and sixes. This partnership dragged the team out of trouble, guiding them to 156/8 by the end of their allotted overs.

It was an uncharacteristically quiet outing with the bat for Rashid Khan, who scored just one run off 10 balls. Mujeeb Ur Rahman injected some late energy with a quickfire, unbeaten nine runs from three deliveries—highlighted by two fours—though the final target of 157 ultimately proved far too easy for the Indian lineup to eclipse.

Abhishek Sharma’s batting masterclass makes quick work of the run chase

The home team set an aggressive tone right from the start of their run chase, despite losing Sanju Samson early for 10 runs off eight deliveries. Abhishek immediately took the reins of the innings, playing an incredibly destructive knock that completely destabilized the opposition.

Unleashing a flurry of shots, Abhishek hammered 82 runs off only 32 balls, a knock laced with seven boundaries and seven massive sixes. His spectacular scoring rate kept the opposition bowlers on the back foot, swiftly steering the game in the hosts’ favor.

Ishan Kishan played an anchor role from the other end, making a solid contribution of 42 runs off 33 balls, which included five fours and a maximum. Together, the duo kept India well ahead of the asking rate during the entire chase.

The visiting bowling unit found it incredibly difficult to contain the flow of runs. Nabi stood out as the most effective bowler, taking two wickets for 28 runs in his three overs, while Omarzai claimed the single remaining wicket. Fazalhaq Farooqi went for 38 runs in his brief two-over spell, and Rashid finished wicketless, conceding 34 runs in 3.4 overs. Ultimately, India reached the target of 157/3 in just 13.4 overs, securing an easy seven-wicket triumph with 38 deliveries to spare.

Social media buzz and fan reactions: