India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets to seal T20 series

In a thrilling conclusion to their three-match T20 series, India defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets, clinching the series with a match to spare on Tuesday. Sanju Samson played a pivotal role in the victory, scoring an impressive 57 runs off just 22 balls. The opening batsman smashed four sixes and seven fours, marking his first half-century since the T20 World Cup final where he was named player of the tournament.

Samson's opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, contributed 39 runs off 19 balls, including four sixes. Together, the duo amassed a rapid 88 runs in just 38 balls. India's innings concluded with a robust total of 163-3 in 14.5 overs. This was their second consecutive win in the series, having secured the first T20 by seven wickets at the same venue on Sunday.

Afghanistan, as the hosts, faced an uphill task as they finished with an under par score of 159-8 in their 20 overs. All-rounder Nitish Reddy delivered a commendable performance, taking 3-24 in just three overs. India capitalized on the toss, opting to field and restricted Afghanistan to a below-par total.

In the powerplay, Afghanistan attempted to utilize spin, but their efforts fell short. Rashid Khan made an impact after the powerplay, claiming a crucial wicket in the seventh over, dismissing Sharma who was caught at deep midwicket. Samson continued his impressive performance, reaching his seventh T20 half-century off just 20 balls. However, Afghanistan's efforts were in vain as they lost wickets rapidly.

The Indian skipper, Shreyas Iyer, became the third wicket to fall to Rashid Khan in the seventh over, followed by Ishan Kishan's dismissal. Despite these early setbacks, the Indian batting lineup responded strongly, with Ishan Kishan (38 not out) and Tilak Varma (15 not out) ensuring a comfortable finish to the innings without facing much opposition.

Earlier in the series, Afghanistan struggled to start, losing two consecutive ducks, including one to Arshdeep Singh. Despite a promising start with 37 runs off 33 balls by captain Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan's batting lineup faltered as they slid from 59-2 to 100-6 in the middle overs. The team's downfall was attributed to Nitish Reddy, who picked two crucial wickets. However, a resilient partnership between Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi (48 runs off 28 balls) helped Afghanistan recover from the middle overs.