How India played like champions again
After the 2026 T20 World Cup, India faced problems rarely associated with them as they went seven consecutive games without a win. The team's Achilles' heel was revealed to be spin bowling, as few could find answers to Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel. Following their return to home conditions, India's Chakaravarthy and Patel showcased their best form in the first match of a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Jasprit Bumrah made his return to the bowling attack, taking just three attempts to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz for his 11th T20I duck. Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai put on an 83-run sixth-wicket stand, posting a total of 157. Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel restricted Afghanistan to 157/8 in 20 overs, finishing with 43/2 from eight overs at an economy rate of 5.37.
Abhishek Sharma, who had struggled in the previous World Cup, scored 82 runs off 32 balls as India chased down the target comfortably, winning the match by seven wickets.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
