Abhishek Sharma and Rashid Khan (Image credit: Agencies)
India won the match by seven wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Poll The two teams will meet again on Tuesday at the same venue, with Afghanistan looking to level the series and India aiming to take an unassailable lead.
India Secures Victory with Strong Finish
India completed their chase in 13.4 overs, successfully reaching the target after a strong performance from Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma. Although both players were dismissed later in the innings, their explosive partnership set a solid foundation for the team’s success. Shreyas Iyer remained not out on 8 runs, while Tilak Varma contributed with 3 runs, helping India secure the win.
His 82 off 32 balls helped India chase down 157 in just 13.4 overs and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. A total of 113 batters have faced at least 30 balls from Rashid in T20 cricket in matches where ball-by-ball data is available. Abhishek’s strike rate of 234.88 against Rashid, with 101 runs from 43 balls, is the highest among all 113 batters. Abhishek smashed seven fours and seven sixes during his 32-ball 82. He found an excellent partner in Ishan Kishan , who scored 42 off 33 balls. The pair added 121 runs for the second wicket after Sanju Samson was dismissed for 10. Abhishek and Ishan also put together the highest-ever 100-plus partnership against Afghanistan in T20Is in terms of scoring rate. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Their 121 runs came from just 53 balls at a rate of 13.70 runs per over. The previous best was a scoring rate of 12.25 runs per over, when Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh scored 190* off 93 balls in Bengaluru in 2024. India reached 82/1 in the powerplay, with Abhishek and Ishan taking the attack to the Afghanistan bowlers.
But Abhishek’s assault also produced a remarkable record against Rashid Khan . He attacked the Afghanistan bowlers from the start and put India firmly in control of the chase. What impressed you the most about Abhishek Sharma’s performance? Download the TOI app.
Abhishek Sharma produced a stunning batting performance against Afghanistan in the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday. Aggressive batting style Record strike rate against Rashid Khan Building a solid partnership with Ishan Kishan 3k+ users shared opinion today 5k+ users already voted today 3k+ users shared opinion today Share Opinion Get the latest Sports News and Live updates.