Afghanistan Sets Challenging Target for India in T20I Series Opener
Afghanistan's Resilience After Early Collapse
In the first T20I of the three-match series held at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, Afghanistan managed to recover from a disastrous start, setting India a target of 157 runs. Azmatullah Omarzai played a crucial role, scoring an unbeaten 64, helping his team bounce back from a precarious position of 43/5 after just seven overs. Indian bowler Arshdeep Singh was impressive, taking 3 wickets for 19 runs.
India's Bowlers Shine Early
After winning the toss, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer chose to bowl first, a decision that paid off quickly as the Indian bowlers dismantled the Afghan batting lineup, leaving them at 41 for 4 during the Powerplay.
Jasprit Bumrah, returning to T20I action post-IPL 2026, made an immediate impact by dismissing opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in his first over.
The situation worsened for Afghanistan when Ishan Kishan executed a brilliant run-out in the fourth over, sending Zadran back to the pavilion after he scored just 11 runs.
Arshdeep Singh followed up by taking out Sediqullah Atal for 13 runs, who misplayed a wide yorker into Bumrah's hands.
Axar Patel capped off a dominant Powerplay by removing Gulbadin Naib for just 2 runs, caught by Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Varun Chakaravarthy then joined the wicket-taking spree, bowling out Darwish Rasooli for 2 runs, leaving Afghanistan in dire straits at 43 for 5.
Omarzai and Nabi's Partnership
In the face of adversity, Azmatullah Omarzai and experienced player Mohammad Nabi formed a crucial partnership, stabilizing the innings with an 83-run stand for the sixth wicket.
The duo accelerated their scoring in the 15th over, hitting 17 runs off Reddy and following it up with another 16 runs off Axar Patel.
India's Late-Game Comeback
Arshdeep Singh returned to the attack in the 17th over, breaking the partnership by dismissing Nabi, who scored 33 runs off 27 balls.
Bumrah bowled the 18th over, conceding only 3 runs and finishing with figures of 1/26 in 4 overs.
In the penultimate over, Arshdeep struck twice, sending Rashid Khan back for just 1 run and Noor Ahmad for a duck, while Omarzai reached his half-century.
Omarzai continued to lead the charge, partnering with Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and they managed to score 21 runs off the final over bowled by Shivam Dube, concluding Afghanistan's innings at 156/8. Omarzai remained not out at 64 off 44 balls, including four fours and four sixes.
The Indian bowlers who took wickets included Arshdeep Singh (3/19), Axar Patel (1/27), Jasprit Bumrah (1/26), and Varun Chakaravarthy (1/16), setting India a target of 157 runs to chase in 20 overs.