{
  "id": 7599952,
  "title": "Sanju Samson’s 57 helps India clinch T20 series against Afghanistan with 7-wicket win",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/sanju-samsons-57-helps-india-clinch-t20-series-against-afghanistan",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-15T17:50:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sanju-samson-57-helps-india-175036992.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nSamson'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.\n\nAfghanistan, 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nEarlier 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.",
  "summary": "Sanju Samson scored 57 off 22 balls as India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets to clinch their three-match T20 series with a match to spare Tuesday. Samson hit four sixes and seven fours en route to his first half-century since this year's T20 World Cup final — where he was named player of the tournament.",
  "key_points": [
    "Sanju Samson scores 57 runs off 22 balls in T20 series win",
    "Abhishek Sharma contributes 39 runs off 19 balls for India",
    "Afghanistan finishes with 159-8 in 20 overs, losing series 2-1"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/7599952.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ESPNcricinfo",
        "title": "Mack's unbeaten 83 seals Australia A series win against India A",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/macks-unbeaten-83-seals-australia-a-series-win-against-india-a",
        "published": "2026-09-15T16:18:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "India beat Afghanistan in second T20I to clinch series",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/india-beat-afghanistan-in-second-t20i-to-clinch-series",
        "published": "2026-09-15T17:09:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Samson's 57 off 22 establishes his role of preferred opener as India seal series",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/samsons-57-off-22-establishes-his-role-of-preferred-opener-as-india",
        "published": "2026-09-15T17:15:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets to seal T20 series",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/india-beat-afghanistan-by-seven-wickets-to-seal-t20-series",
        "published": "2026-09-15T18:15:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}