India started its three T20I series against Afghanistan with a seven-wicket victory at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Shreyas Iyer led the team in all departments with an all-round performance, restricting Afghanistan to a manageable total and then putting away the target thanks to a spectacular innings from Abhishek Sharma.
After winning the toss, Shreyas Iyer chose to bowl first and it paid off immediately. India’s bowlers made the first impact and Afghanistan was put under a lot of pressure from the start. The visitors were unable to make partnerships as wickets fell at regular intervals.
The breakthrough came in the very first over when Jasprit Bumrah took a hard catch from the dangerous opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for the second ball of the innings. Afghanistan’s batting line-up never recovered from that loss. The Indian bowling attack kept tight lines and lengths and the opposition never got a chance to score freely.
At one point Afghanistan was 43 for 5 on the verge of being bowled out for a below-par score. But Azmatullah Omarzai fought back with a very hard fight. Omarzai played a lone warrior role and kept on to 64 runs off 44 balls, showing great composure under pressure. His innings was one of calculated aggression and sensible strike rotation and was instrumental in Afghanistan recovering from a bad start.
Mohammad Nabi, who scored 33 runs, made a crucial contribution and formed a strong partnership with Omarzai. They contributed to Afghanistan reaching 156 for 8 in 20 overs.
India's bowlers were effective throughout the innings. Arshdeep Singh was the best bowler with three wickets while Bumrah finished with 1 for 26 in 4 overs and Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy each picked up one. The only expensive spell was Shivam Dube, who conceded 21 runs in the final over, including two boundaries and two sixes, allowing Afghanistan to cross the 150-run mark.
A convincing 7️⃣-wicket win in the series opener 💙
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 13, 2026
Positive start for #TeamIndia in the Friendship Cup 👏
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/Wacwj3tM4l#AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/jNer7opNyN
As India was chasing 157 for victory, India did not have the smoothest of starts. Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson tried a shot but lost his wicket in the third over. But whatever hopes Afghanistan had to get back from defeat were soon extinguished by the attacking partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan.
Abhishek took the Afghan bowlers apart with a breathtaking display of power hitting. The left-handed batter took off from the start and scored boundaries and sixes all over the ground. He reached his half-century in just 22 balls, leaving the opposition bowlers looking for answers.
The Indian innings gained momentum quickly and in nine overs, the team crossed the 100-run mark thanks in part to Abhishek’s fearless approach. Even after reaching his fifty he showed no signs of slowing down.
Abhishek eventually departed after a spectacular knock of 82 runs off just 32 balls, in an innings that included seven fours and seven sixes. By the time he was dismissed, India had already reached 139 runs, effectively sealing the outcome of the contest.
At the other end Ishan Kishan played a very good support role with 42 runs and ensured there were no hiccups in the chase. Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma then completed the formalities and guided India to victory with lots of balls to spare.
The win gives India a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series and will boost team confidence in the second match. With Abhishek Sharma in explosive form and the bowling unit firing collectively, Team India will be able to keep its supremacy going against Afghanistan.
