Abhishek Sharma Dominates Afghanistan in T20I Victory
On a warm Delhi evening, Abhishek Sharma turned a routine chase into a statement. India needed 157. He made it look like 120.
The left-hander smashed 82 off just 32 balls in the first T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, powering India to a seven-wicket win and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The chase ended in 13.4 overs, but the contest felt done much earlier.
This was not just another quickfire knock. It came with a remarkable side note: Abhishek now owns the best strike rate of any batter to have faced Rashid Khan for at least 30 balls in T20 cricket where ball-by-ball data is available.
Across those encounters, Abhishek has taken 101 runs off 43 balls from Rashid at a strike rate of 234.88. No one else among 113 such batters has gone at him faster. Against most, Rashid dictates. Against Abhishek, he has met a hitter willing not just to survive, but to swing hard and often.
A powerplay blitz
Once India began the chase, Abhishek wasted no time. Seven fours, seven sixes, and barely a dot ball in sight. He stepped out, went across, went over the top, and ripped apart any early plans Afghanistan had.
By the end of the powerplay, India were 82 for 1. The target was already shrinking in the rear-view mirror.
At the other end, Ishan Kishan played the ideal foil. His 42 off 33 balls did not match Abhishek’s ferocity, but it did not need to. He rotated strike, cashed in on errors, and ensured the pressure never slipped back onto India.
The pair came together after Sanju Samson fell for 10, and from there the game moved only one way.
Record stand leaves Afghanistan gasping
Abhishek and Ishan added 121 for the second wicket, but it was the speed of that partnership that truly stunned. Their stand came off just 53 balls, scoring at 13.70 runs per over – the fastest 100-plus partnership ever recorded against Afghanistan in T20Is.
The previous best scoring rate for a 100-plus stand against Afghanistan belonged to Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh, who hammered 190* off 93 balls in Bengaluru in 2024 at 12.25 runs per over. Abhishek and Ishan pushed that benchmark into a new gear.
By the time both departed, the damage was irreversible. Afghanistan’s spinners, usually their heartbeat, never settled. The seamers fared no better. Every over seemed to bring another clean strike, another field change, another resigned glance from the bowler’s end.
Finish without fuss
Once the open wounds had been inflicted, the finish was clinical. Shreyas Iyer, unbeaten on 8, and Tilak Varma, 3 not out, simply walked India across the line. No late drama, no stumble. Just a professional close to a chase that had been brutal in its early stages.
India sealed victory with 38 balls to spare, a margin that underlined how thoroughly the top order had dominated.
The series now stays in Delhi, with the second T20I on Tuesday at the same venue. Afghanistan must find answers quickly – for Rashid, for their new-ball plans, for the middle overs that vanished in a blur of boundaries.
India, meanwhile, have found a fresh enforcer at the top in Abhishek Sharma. If he keeps batting with this freedom and fearlessness, how much bigger can these targets really get?
