India walked away from the Afghanistan T20I series unbeaten, winning all three matches in convincing fashion. The margins changed from game to game, but the pattern remained familiar. India attacked with the bat, took wickets regularly with the ball, and never allowed Afghanistan to settle. By the end of the series, Abhishek Sharma had turned a return to form into a record-breaking statement.
The series opener on September 13 set the tone. Afghanistan managed 156 for 8 after being reduced to 43 for 5, with Azmatullah Omarzai’s 64 providing the resistance. India chased the target in just 13.4 overs, led by Abhishek’s 82 from 32 balls and Ishan Kishan’s 42. The pair added 121 runs, while Arshdeep Singh’s 3 for 19 had earlier kept Afghanistan under pressure.
The second match followed almost the same script. Afghanistan reached 159 for 8, with Ibrahim Zadran making 37 and Nitish Kumar Reddy taking 3 for 24. India then made the chase look considerably smaller than it was. Sanju Samson struck 57 from 22 balls, Abhishek added 39 from 19, and the opening pair put on 88 in only 6.2 overs. India finished the chase in 14.5 overs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Then came Delhi, and the series found its defining image.
Abhishek Sharma walked out and turned the third T20I into his own archive entry. He reached his century from only 30 balls, breaking Rohit Sharma’s previous Indian record of a 35-ball T20I hundred. He eventually made 108 from 34 balls, with nine fours and 11 sixes. His century was also the fastest T20I hundred by a batter against a Test-playing nation and the third fastest overall.
The violence of the innings was matched by its precision. India recorded their highest-ever powerplay score in men’s T20Is, reaching 100/0 after six overs, with Abhishek contributing 76 of those runs. Sanju Samson continued his own resurgence with 50 from 35 balls.
Abhishek’s departure at 108 brought some calm back to the innings, but India still finished on 221 for 7. Afghanistan’s response never developed. They were bowled out for 94 in 14.1 overs, with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi taking three wickets apiece and Axar Patel adding two. India won by 127 runs.
For Abhishek, the series ended with 229 runs at a strike rate of 269.41, including 22 sixes. He was named Player of the Series after also taking the Player of the Match award in the finale.
There were other stories too. Sanju Samson rediscovered his timing after a difficult run of scores, Nitish Kumar Reddy continued to make an impression with both bat and ball, and India’s bowling attack repeatedly gave Afghanistan little room to breathe. The series also showed the depth available around India’s established core.
