India defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Chasing a target of 160, the hosts reached 163 for 3 in 14.5 overs to secure the series win with one game to spare.
Sanju Samson recorded his fastest T20I half-century, reaching the milestone in 20 deliveries. Samson finished with 57 runs off 22 balls, while Abhishek Sharma provided support at the top of the order to accelerate the chase. The victory followed a bowling performance led by Nitish Kumar Reddy, who took career-best T20I figures of 3 for 24 to restrict Afghanistan to 159 for 8.
India made one change to their XI before the match as leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi replaced Varun Chakaravarthy. Captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed the injury at the toss: “We are going to bowl first. You have a fair idea of how the wicket plays, and it gives the bowlers an idea, a little bit of an advantage. Varun is injured and Ravi Bishnoi comes in.”
Chakaravarthy has been ruled out for the remainder of the series with a side strain in his left abdomen. The injury makes him a major doubt for the 2026 Asian Games, which are set to begin on September 19. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet named a squad replacement for the final T20I. Addressing the injury, Chakravarthy said, “Sometimes, we push beyond our limits, and that’s when the body gives in. So, that’s when we have to take a step back and work better and come back stronger.”
Bumrah delivered his 13th career T20I maiden over at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, surpassing Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava (12) to become the sole record holder for the most maidens among ICC Full Member nations.
For the second consecutive match, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was benched despite significant social media interest and calls for his inclusion. Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran noted after the match that his side also would have preferred to bowl first on the Delhi surface.
Analysis of the match suggests Samson’s performance addressed immediate pressure regarding top-order selection following the decision to bench Sooryavanshi. Furthermore, the recurring nature of Chakaravarthy’s fitness issues, following a previous hamstring recovery, raises questions regarding the injury management protocols at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
The series concludes on Thursday, September 17. With the trophy already secured, the final match provides a high-probability opportunity for India to test bench strength, including a potential debut for Sooryavanshi.
