'One or two bad series won't define our batting': Abhishek Sharma sends clear message after India's win over Afghanistan

NEW DELHI: Abhishek Sharma, the Player of the Match, declared on Sunday that a couple of poor series cannot define the Indian cricket team. The left-handed batter scored 82 runs in the first T20I against Afghanistan, guiding India to a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the match and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Sharma's message came amid India's disappointing run in recent white-ball series against Ireland and England, where they lost both the T20I and ODI series.

"I still remember two years back, we decided we want to play a certain way and dominate all teams. It worked for a year. But one or two (bad) series won't define our batting," Sharma said. As openers, he emphasized the importance of giving a good start.

India captain Shreyas Iyer credited Bumrah for setting the tone in the match. Bumrah took a crucial wicket in the first over, dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck. Arshdeep Singh and the spinners maintained the pressure as India restricted Afghanistan to 156/8.

The Indian team played in synergy, with each player contributing to the victory. Iyer praised Bumrah's ability to create momentum, while also highlighting Arshdeep Singh and the spinners' role in keeping the pressure on. Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel continued the momentum for India.

Abhishek Sharma's performance was described as flawless and exemplary by Iyer. Kishan, the wicketkeeper-batter, was in great form, scoring 42 runs off 33 balls. He attributed India's win to the bowlers and fielders, particularly Kishan's decisive stumping of Afghanistan's captain, Ibrahim Zadran.

Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran acknowledged that his team failed to score enough runs, with their total of 156/8 falling short against India's batting. He expressed hope that Gurbaz would bounce back stronger.