New Delhi, September 13 (Daily Kiran) : India secured a commanding victory against Afghanistan, winning their first T20 International match by seven wickets in New Delhi. The star of the match was Abhishek Sharma, who delivered an explosive performance, scoring 82 runs off just 32 balls.
Sharma’s innings included seven fours and seven sixes, with a remarkable strike rate of 256. In the process, he also became the second-fastest player to reach 3,000 runs in T20 cricket, achieving this milestone in 3,420 balls. He trails only New Zealand’s Finn Allen, who reached the mark in 3,386 balls.
In this achievement, Sharma surpassed notable players like Andre Russell and Tim David. Russell completed his 3,000 runs in 3,550 balls, while David took 3,681 balls to reach the same milestone.
Chasing a target of 157 runs, India had a shaky start. Sanju Samson was dismissed for 10 runs off 8 balls, falling to Umarzai. However, Ishan Kishan and Sharma stabilized the innings, forming a formidable partnership of 121 runs for the second wicket in just 53 balls. Kishan contributed 42 runs, supported by five fours and a six.
Earlier, Afghanistan’s batsmen struggled against India‘s bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah sent Gurbaz back to the pavilion on the second ball of the match. Captain Ibrahim Zadran managed only 11 runs, and Sedikullah Atal scored 13 runs before being dismissed. Gulbadin Naib and Darwish Rasooli both went for just 2 runs.
Azhmatullah Umarzai showcased his skills with a solid knock of 64 runs off 44 balls, remaining not out. Mohammad Nabi added 33 runs from 27 balls. On the bowling front, Arshdeep Singh was exceptional, taking three wickets for just 19 runs in four overs, while Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy claimed one wicket each.
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