Archive · 15 Sep 2026
India Eye Series Win as Afghanistan Seek Fightback
India won the first cricket match against Afghanistan and now lead the series 1-0.
The teams will play the second match on Tuesday.
If India win again, they will win the whole three-match series.
Afghanistan must win to keep the series alive.
In the first match, Afghanistan lost five wickets very quickly.
Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi helped them recover and make 156 runs.
India then chased the target very quickly, led by Abhishek Sharma’s 82 runs.
Afghanistan will try to protect their wickets early, while India will try to start strongly again.
The teams are also deciding which players should be included in their playing elevens.
India lead the three-match T20I series 1-0 after beating Afghanistan by seven wickets.
India can clinch the series with a victory in Tuesday’s second T20I at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Afghanistan collapsed to 43/5 in the opener before Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi helped them reach 156/8.
Abhishek Sharma scored 82 from 32 balls and India chased the target in 13.4 overs.
India are considering their batting combination, while Afghanistan must improve their top-order performance against the new ball.
- Who
- India, led by Shreyas Iyer, and Afghanistan, led by Ibrahim Zadran.
- What
- The second match of a three-match T20I series, with India leading 1-0.
- When
- Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 7:30 PM IST.
- Where
- Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
- Why
- India need one more win to clinch the series, while Afghanistan must win to force a deciding third match.
India’s Perspective
Afghanistan’s Perspective
Series objective
India’s Perspective
India need one more victory to take an unassailable 2-0 lead and clinch the series.
Afghanistan’s Perspective
Afghanistan must win to keep the series alive and take the contest to Thursday’s final T20I.
First six overs
India’s Perspective
India will look to repeat the pressure created by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh in the opening match.
Afghanistan’s Perspective
Afghanistan need their top order, including Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, to avoid another early collapse.
Selection choices
India’s Perspective
Abhishek Sharma’s 82 strengthens his case to continue, while India are weighing options involving Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Afghanistan’s Perspective
Afghanistan’s predicted combination includes several spin and pace options, but the team needs its individual quality to produce a more complete performance.
- Series position
- India lead the series 1-0.
- First-match result
- India defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets.
- Afghanistan’s score
- Afghanistan made 156/8 after falling to 43/5.
- Top Afghanistan scorer
- Azmatullah Omarzai scored an unbeaten 64 off 44 balls.
- Top India scorer
- Abhishek Sharma scored 82 off 32 balls, including seven sixes and seven fours.
- India’s chase
- India reached 157/3 in 13.4 overs, with Ishan Kishan scoring 42.
- Broadcast and streaming
- The match is available on Sony Sports Ten 3, 4 and 5 in SD and HD, with streaming on the FanCode app and website.
