By Siddhant Tripathi3 min read
Afghanistan will think twice before signing up for another bilateral T20 encounter on Indian soil anytime soon. The three-match contest concluded at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium with a ruthless display of dominance from the hosts, culminating in a 127-run drubbing in the finale. After being blown away in the first two encounters, Afghanistan completely unravelled in the third match, tumbling to 94 all out while chasing a colossal total.
India’s comprehensive 3-0 whitewash was not merely about winning games; it was about an overwhelming disparity in firepower. From historic boundary barrages to disciplined bowling spells, five Indian players dismantled Afghanistan across every phase of play.
Five Game-Changers in the India vs Afghanistan T20I series
While the entire squad executed its plans to perfection, five individuals set themselves apart by systematically shutting down every challenge the Afghan side attempted to mount.
1. Abhishek Sharma: Pure Destruction at the Top
Abhishek Sharma operated in an alternate dimension throughout the series, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 229 runs at a staggering strike rate over 260. He ignited the opening fixture with a sparkling 82 off 32 balls, followed by a breezy 39 off 19 deliveries in the second clash. However, his defining masterclass arrived in the final match at the Kotla.
Abhishek hammered a 30-ball century—the fastest T20I hundred ever struck by a batter from a Full Member nation, eclipsing Rohit Sharma’s long-standing 35-ball Indian milestone. His 108 off 34 deliveries featured 11 monstrous sixes and nine boundaries, demoralising the Afghan attack long before the innings concluded.
2. Nitish Kumar Reddy: The Seam-Bowling Answer
For months, the Indian management searched for reliable seam-bowling all-round cover behind Hardik Pandya. Nitish Kumar Reddy answered that call emphatically. Entrusted with significant bowling responsibilities, Reddy emerged as the leading wicket-taker of the series with six scalps.
After delivering match-winning figures of 3 for 24 in the second game, he produced another blistering spell of 3 for 25 in the finale. His ability to take crucial top-order wickets and wipe out the lower order proved that the investment in his development is already yielding massive returns.
3. Sanju Samson: Rediscovering Rhythm and Authority
Questions lingered around Sanju Samson’s rhythm following a lean patch after the World Cup cycle, but the stylish wicketkeeper-batter answered his critics with consecutive half-centuries. Opening alongside Abhishek, Samson struck an electric 57 off 22 balls in the second T20I to break the back of a 160-run chase.
He backed it up in the third encounter with a mature 50 off 35 balls, forging a blistering 142-run partnership for the opening wicket. Samson’s return to form provides India with formidable depth at the top of the batting order.
4. Ishan Kishan: Middle-Order Stability
While aggressive openers set the tone, middle-order stability remains essential in the shortest format. Ishan Kishan embraced the responsibility of keeping the innings together. Whenever quick wickets tumbled or momentum threatened to wobble, Kishan held one end securely.
His unbeaten 38 in the second match ensured that India cruised across the finish line without any late panic, providing the ideal buffer that allowed the power-hitters around him to express themselves freely.
5. Axar Patel: The Economical Enforcer
Axar Patel often goes unnoticed amidst explosive batting milestones, but his contribution was indispensable. On Indian surfaces, Axar continues to prove virtually unplayable. Throughout the three matches, he suffocated the opposition during the powerplay and middle overs with relentless accuracy.
In the final match, Axar removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal in a single over, completely shattering Afghanistan’s top order. His tight economy and wicket-taking ability ensured the opposition never built any sustained counter-attack.
A Total Gulf in Class
From Abhishek Sharma’s record-smashing blitz to the disciplined bowling of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel, the series exposed glaring technical and mental gaps in the Afghan setup. Bundling out for double digits in the finale was an emphatic statement of India’s bench strength and dominance at home.