New Delhi, September 17 (Daily Kiran) : The third T20 International between India and Afghanistan took place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 17, 2026. Batting first after losing the toss, the Indian team scored an impressive 221 runs for the loss of seven wickets.
Openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson gave India a blazing start, amassing 142 runs for the first wicket in just 9.5 overs. Abhishek was in sublime form, reaching his half-century in a mere 16 balls, while Samson played a more stabilizing role. With Abhishek’s explosive batting, India crossed the 100-run mark in just six overs.
Continuing his aggressive approach, Abhishek completed his century in just 30 balls, making him the fastest player from full-member nations to achieve this feat in T20 International cricket. The left-handed batsman scored 108 runs off 34 balls, boasting a strike rate of 317, which included nine boundaries and eleven sixes. Samson contributed significantly as well, scoring 50 runs off 35 balls with the help of two fours and four sixes.
However, the middle order struggled to maintain the momentum. Tilak Varma, promoted to number three, managed only 2 runs before being dismissed. Shivam Dube scored 14 runs off 10 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer struggled to find his rhythm, making 29 runs off 20 balls before being run out. Ishan Kishan added just 10 runs and was also run out, and Nitish Kumar Reddy scored a solitary run. Axar Patel remained not out with 5 runs.
For Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai was the standout bowler, taking two wickets for 27 runs. Rashid Khan and Abdullah Ahmadzai each claimed one wicket. India struggled in the final 10 overs, scoring only 79 runs while losing six wickets.
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