Collective showdown from India fuels T20I series with a game to spare

Team India put in another clinical shift to decimate Afghanistan, pocketing the three-match T20I series with a game to spare.

Another all-round performance saw the Men in Blue powering through the Afghan resistance as the bowlers and batters came in perfect sync to seize the bragging rights of the contest.

Winning the toss, India opted to bowl first. There was just one change to the squad as Ravi Bishnoi came in place of Varun Chakravarthy. India got off to a rollicking start as Arshdeep Singh drew first blood, removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz (0) in no time.

Afghanistan managed to throw in an anchor as Ibrahim Zadran (37) and Sediqullah Atal (12) knitted together a 51-run stand to steady the Afghan ship. Nitish Kumar Reddy managed to rattle the stand as he claimed the crucial scalp of Zadran while Bishnoi was quick to enforce India’s charge, picking the wicket of Atal.

Reddy struck again in quick succession to see the back of Gulbadin Naib (10) before the hosts managed to push back the Indian invasion for a while. However, India did find a way through as Axar Patel was the next one to strike, getting hold of Azamatullah Omarzai’s wicket (11). India continued to hunt in pairs as Darwish Rasooli (26) was the next to fall after putting up a fine stand.

The hosts managed to find some serious momentum through Mohammad Nabi (20) and Rashid Khan (28) as they totted up 159/8 at the end of 20 overs.

Nitish Kumar Reddy was the pick of the lot for the Indian bowlers with figures of 3/24 while he was aptly complemented by Arshdeep Singh, who registered a brace to his name.

Needing 160 to win, India hit the accelerator right from the outset. Abhishek Sharma began exactly from where he left while Sanju Samson joined in on the party after taking some time to settle in.

The opening duo took India to 88 runs within just 6.2 overs before Afghanistan struck with a double whammy.

Samson had a slow start to his innings but was quick to change gears, once he got the hang of the surface. He went from dots to demons in very minimal time, bringing up his 7th T20I half-century in just 20 balls. Sharma played the perfect two-to-tango, allowing India to unleash their freewheeling belligerence.

Sharma smashed a 19-ball-39, rocking two fours and four sixes as India threatened to run away with the game. After the two openers fell, the Men in Blue took some time to steady the boat. Rashid Khan did remove the Indian captain, Shreyas Iyer (11) cheaply but the Men in Blue never really looked off element.

Ishan Kishan stayed unbeaten for 38 from just 23 balls, smacking three fours and two sixes while Tilak Varma (15) ensured that India crossed the finish line without breaking a sweat.

India secured a seven-wicket win to pocket the series with Nitish Kumar Reddy bagging the Player of the Match award for his scintillating performance with the ball.