HIGHLIGHTS Afghanistan vs India, India in Afghanistan 3 T20I Series 2026, 1st T20- Result, Scorecard

Welcome back for India's batting reply. The Afghans are in a huddle before they scatter throughout the field and take their respective positions. Abhishek Sharma walks out with Sanju Samson to open the innings for India. Fazalhaq Farooqi has the new ball and is raring to go. Samson is taking the strike.

... The Run Chase ...

A middling total - 157 is by no means a threatening target with the batting firepower India have at their disposal. But make no mistake, their top order has been a bit inconsistent of late and if the Afghans manage to break the first wall early, this could set up a mouth-watering contest. It is an important game for someone like Samson, who has scored just 33 runs in his last four innings, with three single digit scores. Even Abhishek, who has had just 30 runs in his last five outings. But on a fairly good batting track, he will look to feast upon. Back in a bit for the run chase.

The Omarzai show - Afghanistan were rattled early, with half the side blown away before they could settle. Ibrahim and Atal looked comfortable while they lasted, but the innings unravelled from 38/1 to 43/5 in a hurry. With stability badly needed, Nabi and Omarzai came together and produced a rollicking stand of 83 to drag their side out of trouble. In a desperate aim to stop the carnage, Arshdeep was brought back into the attack and he answered the call by removing Nabi. And because of that, Bumrah and Arshdeep squeezed in a couple of quiet overs, displaying their death bowling mastery. But with Omarzai at the crease, and the kind of form he is in, he just went bang-bang in the climax by taking Dube to the cleaners to help Afghanistan breach 150.

3.44 pm GMT (9.14 pm IST) - It was turning out to be a brilliant finish with the ball for India but that final over has swung the momentum back to the Afghans. Although the score on the board still might not look sufficient enough, but at one point, the Afghans didn't even look to breach three digits. It was a night to forget for the likes of Nitish and the Dube experiment in the final over went awry for the Men in Blue. In a combined three overs, they have leaked 51 runs with the others bowling exceptionally well on the other hand.

Shivam Dube to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, FOUR! Banged away. Afghanistan finish with a flourish. 21 runs off the final over help Afghanistan finish on 156/8. Dube goes into the deck but fails to get it short enough to trouble the batter. Mujeeb cashes in on the width as he stands tall and smacks it up and over extra cover for four more.

Shivam Dube to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, FOUR! Mujeeb Ur Rahman flashes and flashes hard. The 150 is up for Afghanistan. Dube sticks to the plan of bowling it full and wide on off. Mujeeb shuffles across to get closer to the line of the ball and swings with all his might. The outside edge flies fine of the short third fielder and races away.

Shivam Dube to Azmatullah Omarzai, This is even slower, full and wide on off. Omarzai swings a bit too hard and loses his shape. He mishits it off the inner half towards wide mid on and takes the single this time.

Shivam Dube to Azmatullah Omarzai, SIX! Up, up and away! That is a shot and a half. Scrambled seam ball, near the tramline on off, on a length. Omarzai reaches out and is able to get under the ball by getting low on the stance. Slams it over cover for another maximum.

Shivam Dube to Azmatullah Omarzai, SIX! Azmatullah Omarzai needed no second invitation there. Dube goes searching for the yorker but ends up serving a juicy low full toss, on off. Omarzai gets behind the line and tonks it over long on for a maximum.

Shivam Dube to Azmatullah Omarzai, Dube keeps it away from the batter's arc, on a length. Omarzai throws his hands at the ball but mistimes it down to long off. He turns down the single on offer and understandably so.

Who will bowl the last over? Nitish? Or does Dube have an outside chance? Voila! He has. Shivam Dube will wrap it up. Omarzai has the strike so the Afghans can definitely breach 150.

Arshdeep Singh to Azmatullah Omarzai, Not in control but safe. Pushed across the right-hander from over the wicket, on a length. Omarzai clears the front leg and swings for the hills. The ball leaves him to catch the outer half and it is sliced towards deep cover. Ishan Kishan moves to his right but the ball drops out of his reach. Single taken by Azmat to keep the strike.

Arshdeep Singh to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, On a hard length, tucking the batter up for room. Mujeeb rises with the bounce and nurdles it square on the leg side for a single.

Arshdeep Singh to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Wide! Full and down leg. Mujeeb misses out on the tickle.

Arshdeep Singh to Azmatullah Omarzai, FIFTY FOR OMARZAI, only his 2nd in T20Is. Time and time again, Azmatullah continues to prove his worth to the Afghan side as an all-rounder. Fuller in length, angled in at the stumps. Azmat brings his wrists into play and clips it towards deep square leg for a single to reach his landmark.

Afghanistan are badly falling apart in the back end of the innings. They have slipped from 126/5 to 131/8. That brings Mujeeb Ur Rahman to the crease.

Arshdeep Singh to Noor Ahmad, OUT! NOOR AHMAD IS RUN OUT! Excellent work in the field by the Indian captain. Skidding through, in and around the off stump, on a back of a length. Noor taps it wide of cover from the crease before setting off for a quick single. Shreyas Iyer moves swiftly to his right, and the ball bounces nicely for him. He picks it up with one hand and while being on the move, he scores a direct hit at the bowling end. Noor is caught short of the crease, and being on the back foot to begin with did not help his cause either.

Noor Ahmad is in at number 9 with 10 balls left in the first innings.

Arshdeep Singh to Rashid Khan, OUT! CAUGHT! Rashid Khan's scratchy stay comes to an end. This was in the slot for Rashid, and he will be disappointed to have missed out on putting it away. Around the off stump. Rashid gets the front leg out of the way and has a swing at it. The bat turns in his hand as the ball goes back over the bowler's head. Axar Patel moves to his right from long off and gobbles it up with ease.

Arshdeep Singh to Rashid Khan, At 134 kph, a bumper, which is directed at the body of the batter. Rashid sinks underneath the ball.

Arshdeep Singh to Rashid Khan, Wide! Sprays a full ball, down leg. Rashid tries to swing it away with the angle by getting low but misses.

Decision-making time for Shreyas. Will he bring Arshdeep for the penultimate over? If yes, it will leave him with Nitish for the final over, who has been pretty expensive so far. And yes, he continues with Arshdeep Singh (3-0-15-2) for the 19th.

Jasprit Bumrah to Rashid Khan, Bumrah finishes just as well. Spears in a yorker, tailing back in on middle and leg. Khan drops his bat down on the ball and squeezes it out to short third for just a single. The momentum is being sucked out of this Afghan innings after that surge of 4 overs. 10 runs off the last 12 balls.

Jasprit Bumrah to Azmatullah Omarzai, Takes pace off, keeping it away from the batter's arc, on a short of a good length. Azmat slaps it to deep point for just a single. So far, so good from Bumrah. Just 2 runs off the over so far.

Jasprit Bumrah to Azmatullah Omarzai, Bumrah goes wide on the crease and nails the yorker, right at the base of the middle stump. Omarzai gets his bat down and digs it out back to the bowler.

Jasprit Bumrah to Rashid Khan, Another slower, short ball, on middle. Rashid has a flash at the ball this time but fails to make any connection. It bounces awkwardly in front of Sanju Samson, who cannot make a clean stop. It is parried away off the keeper's pad towards short fine leg for a bye.

Jasprit Bumrah to Rashid Khan, Rashid is yet to get off the mark. It has been 7 balls since Azmatullah Omarzai faced a delivery.  Bumrah dishes out the slower bumper, over middle. Rashid arches back to play the upper cut but misses.

Jasprit Bumrah to Rashid Khan, Starts with the off-cutter, into the surface, on middle. Rashid hangs back to deal with it but the ball spins back sharply and jumps on the batter, catching him on the glove.

A sensational over from Arshdeep amid the carnage. Just 7 runs from it. Right, three overs to go. Jasprit Bumrah (3-0-24-1) has one over left, and he is back on to bowl out.

Arshdeep Singh to Rashid Khan, Arshdeep returns to the around-the-wicket angle and this is slanted in at the pads. Rashid is beaten for pace on the flick. A leg bye is taken as the ball goes away on the leg side off the pads.

Arshdeep Singh to Rashid Khan, Out comes the bumper at the bodyline of the batter. Rashid ducks under it. Three dots in a row after the wicket.

Arshdeep Singh to Rashid Khan, Switches to over the wicket now, bowled on a good length, on middle. Rashid turns it from the crease to mid-wicket.

Arshdeep Singh to Rashid Khan, Around off, on a back of a length. Rashid angles it off the back foot to backward point.

Superb response from Arshdeep to break this dangerous-looking 83-run partnership. Rashid Khan walks in at number 8. He is also very much capable to strike the ball hard into the crowd.

Arshdeep Singh to Mohammad Nabi, OUT! TIMBER! Arshdeep Singh answers right back, and he has his arms aloft in celebration. Mohammad Nabi is absolutely livid with himself as he swings his bat away in disgust. Singh sticks to the off-pace delivery but pitches it up. Nabi crouches and tries to swipe it away towards the leg side but he is undone by the slower one. It drops on him and sneaks under the blade, with the willow getting stuck in the turf as Nabi tries to turn the ball away. Afghanistan are now 126/6.

Arshdeep Singh to Mohammad Nabi, SIX! Clean strike! Arshdeep begins with the slower one, on a back of a length, on middle. This sits up to be hit and Nabi pumps it with a horizontal bat over long on for a biggie.

Last 4 overs left. Afghanistan will be eyeing a total beyond 160 now with the way these two are striking the ball. Arshdeep Singh (2-0-8-1) is back on.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, Short and wide on off, Azmatullah Omarzai stands tall and spanks it wide of deep cover for a brace.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, SIX! All the way. That will add to the frustration of Axar Patel. Sliding on with the arm, a bit on the shorter side, on middle and leg. Omarzai goes deep in the crease and pummels it over the deep square leg fence for a six.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, Nearly chopped it on! Slower and on a good length, outside off. Omarzai flashes at the ball but gets an inside edge that sneaks past the stumps and rolls to short fine leg.

Axar Patel to Mohammad Nabi, Flatter and shorter, quicker as well, on middle. Nabi backs away and lofts it over the bowler's head for a single.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, PUT DOWN! Ishan Kishan shells a sitter. Azmatullah Omarzai had given up. Fractionally short, on middle and leg. Omarzai hops deep in the crease to unleash the pull. Gets it high on the bat and it is spooned straight down the throat of deep mid-wicket, where Ishan settles under it but the ball pops out of his grasp. Single taken.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, SIX MORE! These two are putting on a real show here! Into the slot by Axar, on the stumps, Omarzai swings it nice and clean with pure timing and hoists it over deep mid-wicket for half a dozen more runs.

After the first 12 overs, Afghanistan were 58/5, but in the last 4 overs, they have scored 46 runs.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Mohammad Nabi, SIX! Absolutely carted away by 'The President'! A juicy half-volley by Nitish, on the stumps, begging to be punished. Nabi gets his front leg out of the way and thumps it powerfully down the ground for a cracking six. And with that, the 100 is up for Afghanistan. 5 overs left.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Mohammad Nabi, FOUR! Not at all where he wanted to hit, but he will take it. Once again, Nitish slips in the full toss, on middle, Nabi tries to whip it across into the leg side, but gets a massive leading edge and beats the deep cover fielder to his left for a boundary.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Another full toss, on middle, Omarzai whisks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Good work in the deep! Low full toss, on middle and leg, Azmatullah Omarzai whips it between deep square leg and deep mid-wicket. Arshdeep Singh runs and dives to his left from the former position and relays the ball to the converging Bishnoi. Two taken.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Bangs it short but takes the pace off, outside the off pole. Omarzai arches back and lines up to uppercut it, only to miss out.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR! This partnership is developing nicely now for Afghanistan. Too full and tailing on the leg stump. Azmatullah Omarzai's head falls over, but he skilfully whips it to deep backward square leg and finds the fence.

Nitish Kumar Reddy (1-0-13-0) is back with a change of ends.

Abhishek Sharma to Azmatullah Omarzai, Darted into the stumps, on a fuller length. Omarzai heaves it across to deep mid-wicket for a single. 8 runs from Abhishek's first over.

Abhishek Sharma to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR! Up and over and in the gap as well! Pitched full and wide outside off. Azmatullah Omarzai creates room and slices it over cover-point. The ball beats the sweeper to his left.

Abhishek Sharma to Mohammad Nabi, On a fullish length, around off, Nabi strokes it down to long off for a run.

Abhishek Sharma to Mohammad Nabi, Beaten! Full and floated outside off, Mohammad Nabi backs away and looks to muscle it over covers, but gets beaten all ends up by the turn.

Abhishek Sharma to Azmatullah Omarzai, Pulls the length back, does Abhishek, Omarzai flays it to deep point for a single.

Abhishek Sharma to Mohammad Nabi, Slides the ball in on a length, on the leg stump. Nabi hangs back and nudges it through mid-wicket for a single.

Abhishek Sharma to roll his arm over now. Shreyas Iyer also has the option of turning to Shivam Dube.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Quicker and fuller, the leg break now, on middle. Azmatullah Omarzai looks to flick it to the leg side, but the ball grazes the outer portion of his bat and rolls away to covers. 1/16 in 4 overs for Varun Chakaravarthy. Simply brilliant.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Mohammad Nabi, Dishes out a length ball, on the leg stump. Nabi hangs back and steers it wide of mid on for a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Mohammad Nabi, Slides it in at 93 kph, full and on the leg stump. Nabi tries to nudge it across but plays over the wrong line and the ball deflects off the front pad to point.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Too full, almost a yorker, on off, Azmatullah Omarzai drills it down to long on for a single. Despite two No Balls in this over, just 7 runs so far.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Oh, dear! Another No Ball for overstepping! Full and quick, outside off, Omarzai carves it inside out to extra cover. Another Free Hit to follow.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, High but not long enough! Flatter and fuller, on off, Azmatullah Omarzai clears the front leg and tries to hoist it over mid-wicket, but mistimes it badly off the toe end of the bat. The ball balloons up but lands in front of the converging deep mid-wicket fielder. Two runs taken.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Mohammad Nabi, Shortens the length, on off, Mohammad Nabi punches it down the ground. Varun bends low to stop the ball on his follow-through to his right, but the ball seeps through down the ground for a single. Uh, on. No Ball signalled as Varun Chakaravarthy has overstepped. Free Hit coming up...

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, On a length and drifting in, Azmatullah Omarzai tucks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Mohammad Nabi, Fuller in length, outside off, a slower delivery at 113 kph. Mohammad Nabi looks to slap that through covers, but the ball cuts back in to graze his inside edge and roll back to the keeper.

13 runs off the over so far.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Mohammad Nabi, WIDE! Slower ball, but beyond the tramline, outside off. Let through by Nabi.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Mohammad Nabi, Off cutter now, short on off, Mohammad Nabi dabs it off the back foot to the right of backward point. They dash through for a single as the sub fielder, Ravi Bishnoi, releases a quick throw to the batting end, but misses his shy. With no proper backup on the leg side, the ball rolls to the deep and the batters charge through for the second run.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Short of a good length, a leg cutter by the looks of it, on the stumps, Azmatullah Omarzai hangs back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR! Off the edge! Short again from Reddy, outside off with a bit of extra bounce. Azmatullah Omarzai tries to cut it square on the off side, but gets an outside edge off his flashing blade before the ball runs between the keeper and short third for a boundary.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Mohammad Nabi, Angles it in, on a length, Nabi hangs back and stabs it down to the mid on region for an easy single.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Mohammad Nabi, FOUR! Welcome to the attack, Nitish! He starts with a length-delivery, on top of off and middle. Nabi backs away to create room and hammers it over the extra cover fielder for a cracking boundary. One bounce and into the fence.

Nitish Kumar Reddy has been introduced into the attack. India's 5th bowling option of the night.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, A smidge full and on off, Azmatullah Omarzai stays leg side and opens the bat face late to guide it to the fielder at short third. Another tidy over from Varun! 1/8 in 3 overs are his bowling figures so far.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Big swing and a miss! Pitched full and on a flatter trajectory, outside off. Azmatullah Omarzai swings with all his might, but the ball spins past his blade. Samson cannot collect it cleanly as the ball drops out of his gloves.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Slips in a low full toss that tails in, Azmatullah Omarzai takes it on the full and drives it straight to the fielder at extra cover.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Mohammad Nabi, Spins the other way now, full and outside off. Nabi stretches forward and creams it to deep point for an easy single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Mohammad Nabi, Off-break, on a length, on middle, Nabi exposes all his stumps and looks to cut it away, but ends up chopping it on the surface.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Gets the ball to drift in, full on leg, Omarzai leans on and clips it to mid on for a single.

Drinks Break! India have reduced Afghanistan to 56/5 at the halfway stage. For a while though, the Afghans looked in control, with Atal and Ibrahim Zadran putting together 33 and giving the innings some early rhythm. But India have been flawless on the field tonight, snapping up every chance that has come their way. The bowlers, seamers and spinners alike, have responded in kind too. From Afghanistan's point of view, this particular partnership between Omarzai and Nabi is very crucial if they are to post anything close to 150.

Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Nabi, Angled in before straightening a bit off the deck, on a short of a length, outside off. Nabi defends it from the crease.

Jasprit Bumrah to Azmatullah Omarzai, The length is pulled back now, on off. Omarzai stands tall on top of the bounce and punches it between cover and mid off. Shreyas Iyer charges across to his left at mid off but cannot pick the ball up cleanly in one go, allowing Azmat to get home safely.

Jasprit Bumrah to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR! Gets it through! Bumrah serves the off-cutter, floating it up, on off. Omarzai picks it up early and extends his hands into the drive. The cover fielder flings himself to his right but in vain, and the mid off fielder is a mere spectator.

Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Nabi, Hits the top of the off pole at pace. Nabi presents the full face of the blade and pats it to long on for one.

Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Nabi, Brings out the off-cutter, into the deck. Nabi tries to turn it away on the leg side with a closed bat face but is beaten on the inside edge. It grazes the thigh pad before going towards the keeper on the bounce.

Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammad Nabi, Begins on a back of a length, on off. Nabi glides it off the back foot to backward point.

Jasprit Bumrah is back into the attack. 1/18 in 2 overs so far.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Mohammad Nabi, In line with the off pole, on a good length. Nabi lets the ball come on and punches it wide of cover for a single. The 50 is up for Afghanistan.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Mohammad Nabi, This keeps coming in with the arm, shorter and on middle. Nabi stays back and taps it to cover.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Mohammad Nabi, Quicker now and fuller as well, on middle and leg. Nabi flicks it to mid-wicket.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Mohammad Nabi, Almost dragged it on! Another googly, not all that short, on off. Nabi is caught in his crease and has a poke at the ball whilst staying beside the line. Gets an inside edge and it sneaks past the stumps before racing down to deep fine leg. Arshdeep Singh moves to his right and cuts it off. A couple of runs taken.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Mohammad Nabi, Serves the googly, on a good length, Nabi presses forward to smother the spin but it kicks up a bit to rap him on the glove and it rolls to mid-wicket.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Nice and full, on middle. Omarzai wrists it in front of square on the leg side and gets to the other end.

Axar Patel to Mohammad Nabi, Full and angled in at the sticks. Nabi lunges for the block.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, Stays full, around off. Omarzai pushes it towards long off and turns the strike over.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, Nearly sneaked through. Darted in with a round-arm action, on middle. Omarzai goes deep in the crease and exposes all three stumps, looking to open up the off side. It skids through to catch the underedge and it drops to the deck.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, Sliding on with the arm, shorter and on off. Azmatullah chops it down on the off side.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, Short and flat, Omarzai cuts it to backward point.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, Flighted up, outside off. Omarzai reaches out and cracks the drive all along the ground towards wide long off. Tilak Varma sprints and slides to his left to mop it up. Two taken.

Within a blink, half the Afghan side is back in the hut. Mohammad Nabi walks in at number 7.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Darwish Rasooli, OUT! CLEANED HIM UP! Bowled neck and crop as Varun Chakaravarthy gets in on the act. It is the googly by Chakaravarthy, Not all that short, on middle and leg. Rasooli misreads the length and stays back to a ball he was better off being forward to. He hangs his bat out to play the line of the ball, but it skids through to sneak past the inside edge and shatters the stumps. Afghanistan are now 43/5.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Darwish Rasooli, Half a shout for LBW, but turned down. It seemed to be doing too much. Sliding onto the pads, on a good length. Rasooli plays all around it and is rapped on the front pad.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Dropped short, wide on off. Omarzai reaches out and slaps it to deep point for a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, Quicker through the air, keeping the stumps in play, on a nagging length. Azmatullah turns it towards mid-wicket but can't get it past Shivam Dube there.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Azmatullah Omarzai, It does not take long for the googly to come out. On a good length, just outside off. Omarzai shapes up to play the drive on the rise but mishits it down the pitch.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Darwish Rasooli, At 93 kph, angled in at the hips, on the shorter side. Rasooli presses back and nurdles it behind square leg for a single.

End of the Powerplay. India have bossed it up in Delhi. To further tighten the screws, here's Varun Chakaravarthy into the attack. A slip in place and he replaces Arshdeep Singh.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, Drags the length back and this is slowed down, on off. Omarzai lunges across and dabs it towards cover. Shreyas Iyer is quick to his left and cuts down the single. End of a successful over for Axar Patel and India. After 6 overs, Afghanistan are 41/4.

Axar Patel to Azmatullah Omarzai, Speared in full and quick, on off. Azmatullah Omarzai knocks it off the front foot to cover.

India have been flawless in the field tonight. Afghanistan have been rocked hard. Azmatullah Omarzai walks out on a rescue mission.

Axar Patel to Gulbadin Naib, OUT! CAUGHT! That is a good running catch by Nitish Kumar Reddy. This is tossed up by Axar, fuller and outside off. Naib gets down on a knee and goes for the slog sweep. He takes the risk of going against the turn and pays the price. The ball straightens slightly to catch the top edge. It is skied over point, where Reddy runs over his left shoulder and slides to take a fine catch close to his body. Afghanistan are now 4 down for 41.

Axar Patel to Darwish Rasooli, And again. Flat and short, skidding through in line with the off stump. Darwish makes room for the cut but he is hurried. Chops it wide of cover and scampers through for a single.

Axar Patel to Darwish Rasooli, This is pushed through at 94 kph, not all that short, on middle. Rasooli hurriedly stabs it down the deck.

Axar Patel to Gulbadin Naib, Floated up at 90 kph, full and on middle. Naib leans across and plays around his front pad as he works it wide of mid-wicket for a single.

Axar Patel to close out the Powerplay.

Arshdeep Singh to Darwish Rasooli, On a good length, nipping away. Darwish plays it on the rise and knocks it straight to cover.

Top three back in the hut inside the Powerplay. Darwish Rasooli is in next.

Arshdeep Singh to Sediqullah Atal, OUT! CAUGHT WITH EASE! Arshdeep gets into the wickets as well. He bowls it wide outside the off stump and gets a good bit of outswing on it. Sediqullah Atal jams the bat down and looks to carve it behind square on the off side, but the ball gets sliced uppishly and Bumrah gets an easy catching practice at short third. Afghanistan have been reduced to 39/3 in 4.5 overs.

Arshdeep Singh to Gulbadin Naib, Skiddy delivery, shortish in length, on the leg stump. Gulbadin Naib shapes up for the pull shot but misses and the ball thuds his thigh pad.

Arshdeep Singh to Gulbadin Naib, Back of a length, around off, Naib hangs back and punches it to covers.

Arshdeep Singh to Gulbadin Naib, Swings back in a shade, on a good length, on top of the stumps. Naib walks forward to negate the swing and tries to whip it over mid-wicket, but misses and the ball carries through to the keeper.

Arshdeep Singh to Gulbadin Naib, Pitched on good length, and off. This is steered to the cover-point region.

Gulbadin Naib makes his way out to the middle. Arshdeep Singh returns to the attack with a change of ends. Arshdeep went for 7 runs in his only over so far.

Axar Patel to Ibrahim Zadran, OUT! IBRAHIM IS RUN OUT! Magnificent piece of fielding from Ishan Kishan. Zadran on the other hand, is fuming at his partner. Slightly short and on the leg stump line, Ibrahim Zadran stands tall and pulls it to deep mid-wicket. They run the first one hard as Ishan Kishan sprints to his left from deep square leg. Zadran sets off for the second run but his partner sends him back halfway through. To make matters worse, Ibrahim loses his footing slightly while turning around. Ishan throws it accurately towards the bowling end. Axar collects it around his chest and whips the bails off in a flash, with Ibrahim out by a fair bit. Afghanistan are 38/2 after 4 overs.

Axar Patel to Sediqullah Atal, A bit shorter and on the leg stump line, Sediqullah Atal hangs back and drags it across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Axar Patel to Sediqullah Atal, Down the leg stump, full in length, Atal misses the sweep and the ball rolls off his pads to deep fine leg. They collect two leg byes.

Axar Patel to Ibrahim Zadran, Sliding onto the pads, on a fuller length, Zadran tries to whip it across, but plays over it and is hit on the front pad. The ball rolls to the off side and they are quick enough to take a leg bye.

Axar Patel to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR! Big in-drifter, on a fuller length, going down leg. Ibrahim Zadran sits across on his knee and sweeps it fine to deep fine leg for a boundary.

Axar Patel to Ibrahim Zadran, Axar is into the attack. He starts from around the stumps and bowls a flatter delivery, drifting in. Zadran tries to hack it across the line but gets a bit hurried and gets an inside edge on the pads.

Jasprit Bumrah to Sediqullah Atal, Loose from Atal this time! Bumrah gets the ball to move away, on a good length, outside off. Sediqullah Atal loosely hangs the bat away from his body as the ball zips past his bat.

Jasprit Bumrah to Sediqullah Atal, FOUR! Sumptuous! Bumrah overcooks this one and bowls a half-volley on the middle stump, from around the stumps. Sediqullah Atal presents straight bat and drives it crisply down the ground, and it goes gun-barrel straight to the fence.

Jasprit Bumrah to Sediqullah Atal, Nagging length, around off, dabbed away to backward point.

Jasprit Bumrah to Sediqullah Atal, SIX! Goodness, me! That's gone too flat. Short of a length, on middle and leg. Sediqullah Atal heaves it powerfully, and it goes flat and all the way to deep mid-wicket for a six. The first six of the match.

Jasprit Bumrah to Ibrahim Zadran, Had to really hurry! Really impressive fielding from Nitish Kumar Reddy. Gets extra lift off the pitch, short at the ribs. Zadran rides the bounce and tucks it gently to square leg. Nitish swoops in with a dive and releases a quick throw to the batting end, but misses his shy. Atal makes it through in a hurry.

Jasprit Bumrah to Ibrahim Zadran, Beaten! Beauty from Bumrah! Hits the length hard, outside off, 136 kph. Ibrahim Zadran stays put and attempts to punch it off the back foot, but the ball seams away off the pitch to beat his outside edge.

Arshdeep Singh to Sediqullah Atal, FOUR LEG BYES! Straighter on a length, on the pads. Atal looks to whip it away, but misses and the ball clips his front pad before racing to the deep fine leg fence.

Arshdeep Singh to Sediqullah Atal, In the air... but lands safely! Just for a second, Bumrah looked like he was in the game. Full and swinging away, on off. Atal tries to loft it over covers, but the ball gets sliced up in the air towards deep backward point. Several fielders converge and it is Bumrah, running to his left from deep third, who collects the ball on a couple of bounces. Two runs taken.

Arshdeep Singh to Ibrahim Zadran, Full-ish, around middle and off, Zadran checks his drive to mid off and they amble through for a quick single. Good coordination between the two batters.

Arshdeep Singh to Ibrahim Zadran, Swings from leg to middle, short in length. Ibrahim Zadran watchfully blocks it down the pitch.

Arshdeep Singh to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR! Gorgeous stroke and the skipper is off the mark! Slightly overpitched by Arshdeep, full and around off, Ibrahim Zadran takes a good stride out and absolutely creams it to the right of mid off for a boundary.

Arshdeep Singh to Ibrahim Zadran, A gentle inswinger, on a length, on middle. Zadran prods forward and presents the full face of the bat. Drives it straight down the ground to mid off's left. Arshdeep is on the money.

Arshdeep Singh will share the attack. Over in Dubai, India and Sri Lanka will be locking horns tonight in the Women's Asia Cup final. The flip of the coin has landed in favour of Harmanpreet Kaur, who has opted to bat first.

Jasprit Bumrah to Sediqullah Atal, At 129 kph, good length, slanted across the batter. Sediqullah is happy to let it go. Afghanistan are 7/1 after a long-ish first over.

Jasprit Bumrah to Sediqullah Atal, WIDE! Off the radar again, down leg, on a length. Atal tries to nudge it to the leg side, only to miss.

Jasprit Bumrah to Sediqullah Atal, Swing and a miss! Samson appeals for caught behind, but Bumrah turns around and walks back to his bowling mark. Denied by the umpire as well. Short of a length and it shapes away late from the batter. Sediqullah Atal shapes to pull it across, but the ball zips past his angled bat. Samson moves a bit to his left to collect it.

Jasprit Bumrah to Sediqullah Atal, WIDE! Too straight and down the leg stump line, full in length. Atal misses the flick and Samson does extremely well to dive and grab it to his right.

Jasprit Bumrah to Sediqullah Atal, Back of a length, around off, Atal hangs back and bunts it down the pitch.

Jasprit Bumrah to Sediqullah Atal, Going away from the left-hander, on a length, Atal lets it be.

Jasprit Bumrah strikes early. Sediqullah Atal is in at number 3.

Jasprit Bumrah to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, OUT! CAUGHT BY ABHISHEK! A sizzler from Bumrah and India have drawn first blood already. Hard length on off, and shaping a touch back into the batter with a bit of a lift as well. Gurbaz hangs back and perhaps looks to guide it through short third, but the ball gets big on him and he ends up offering a low catch to Abhishek Sharma at first slip. Sharma bends low to his right and scoops it up nicely above his shoelaces. However, the on-field umpires have sent it upstairs for a review to check for the legality of the catch. But Abhishek Sharma is claiming he has taken it cleanly. The replay confirms the same. Gurbaz is gone for a silver duck.

Gone? Jasprit Bumrah checks with Abhishek Sharma, who is pretty confident. The umpires want to be certain. The third umpire is called into action. The first replay indicates that Abhishek has his fingers underneath the ball. After a couple more looks, the third umpire gives his verdict.

Jasprit Bumrah to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, On the money now! Bangs the surface hard, at 135 kph, on top of off, slightly nipping in. Gurbaz camps back to punch it away, but the ball cuts it to take the inside edge and rolls off the back pad.

Jasprit Bumrah to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, FIVE WIDES! Not an ideal start after a long break for Bumrah. Massive inswinger on a good length, Rahmanullah Gurbaz misses the tickle, and the ball beats the diving Sanju Samson to his left and runs to the fence.

We are all set to get going. The crowd has built up nicely, and it is nearly a full house. Naseeb Khan, the CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, and Rohan Jaitley, President of the Delhi and District Cricket Association, ring the ceremonial bell to signify the start of play. Shreyas Iyer has gathered his troops for one final word before they take the field. Out walk the two Afghan openers, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Returning after an injury layoff, Jasprit Bumrah will kickstart proceedings with the new ball. Gurbaz to face the first ball. The countdown is done and dusted. Away we go...

We are moments away from the first ball, but before that, it is time for the national anthems. The match officials lead the way, followed by Ibrahim Zadran and Shreyas Iyer, who lead their respective sides onto the park along with the mascots. First up will be India's national song, Vande Mataram, followed by the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. It is now time for Afghanistan's national anthem, Da watan Afghanistan day.

PITCH REPORT - Former Indian off-spinner, Nikhil Chopra, is near the deck and says Delhi has traditionally offered a good sporting track. Teams generally prefer chasing here, with a bit of an advantage for the side batting second. He reckons this surface is hard underneath with a little bit of grass on it, which should allow the ball to slide onto the bat nicely. Sanjay Manjrekar joins him and says he has seen this ground evolve over the years. He credits the ground staff for making an effort to prepare a nice, hard surface and does not expect this to be a slow and low pitch. Chopra feels there will be some purchase for the spinners if they can get revs on the ball and advises them to bowl slower through the air. Nikhil mentions that Afghanistan need to make the Powerplay count and believes that if they can get 170-180 on this wicket, we could have a spectacle on our hands.

India (Playing XI) - Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

Afghanistan (Playing XI) - Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi.

The captain of Afghanistan - Ibrahim Zadran says that they would have elected to bowl first, but with the coin against them, they will aim to plan how to go about it with the bat. On hosting India in Delhi, he calls it a pleasure to do so, noting that his side is aiming for a strong series against a quality opponent. Turning to fan support, Zadran says Afghanistan have received plenty of backing from supporters in the past and urges fans to keep turning up, saying their energy makes a real difference to the players. On team news, he takes a bit of time to think, but confirms Naveen-ul-Haq misses out as he isn't yet match-ready. Adds that Noor ul Rahman and Abdollah Ahmadzai are also left out of the side.

The captain of India - Shreyas Iyer says they have played quite a bit of cricket here, and after assessing the conditions, they have decided to bowl first. He describes the captaincy journey so far as a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but says the previous series against Zimbabwe had plenty of positives. On Jasprit Bumrah's return, Iyer says it is a luxury to have a player like him in the side, given his immense experience and the great attitude he brings when it comes to winning matches. Informs that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Washington Sundar miss out tonight, along with a couple more.

TOSS - Both captains - Ibrahim Zadran and Shreyas Iyer - are out in the middle for the coin flip. Sanjay Manjrekar is leading the proceedings. First, a special memento is unveiled in the middle and then Shreyas Iyer presents the Indian jersey to Ibrahim. Tails is the call from Shreyas and he calls it correctly. India have opted to BOWL first.

How's the weather? The good news first. There is no rain around. Delhi is, however, overcast and seriously humid, with humidity hovering in the 70s. Both teams are already deep into their warm-ups, while the stands continue to fill up ahead of the action. El Niño may have left the country short of rain this year, but the compact Arun Jaitley Stadium could still witness a downpour of a different kind - a deluge of sixes. Toss coming up very shortly.

Desperation to break the barrier - Afghanistan's squad is well-versed in Indian conditions, with many of their players having gained extensive experience through the IPL. Now, under Ibrahim Zadran's leadership, they face another big challenge. They have stretched India to the limit but remain without a T20I win against them. Rashid Khan is also within touching distance of 200 T20I wickets, needing seven more. And for Afghanistan, breaking their India hoodoo and reaching that milestone could make this series even more special. Stay tuned for the toss and team updates.

No room for complacency - Six months after defending their title, India enter the Shreyas Iyer era still looking for a settled rhythm. One series win and two defeats have exposed the gaps, but Jasprit Bumrah is back in a near full-strength squad with blokes elbowing for their spots, the Men in Blue have little excuse and plenty to prove. Afghanistan present the sternest challenge in this format. With the Asian Games on the horizon, this series doubles as an early test for India's gold-medal hopes as they are already in the quarter-finals, while the Afghans will take a longer route.

Tourists in their backyard - India return to T20I action on home soil for the first time since becoming the first side to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title, doing so in front of their own fans. In Delhi, they are back at the scene of their emphatic victory over Namibia during that campaign. However, the Arun Jaitley Stadium has offered a fairly even contest for the Men in Blue, who have won three and lost two of their five T20Is at the venue. Afghanistan, too, have fond memories of this venue from the same global event. Led by Rashid Khan, they survived a nervy contest against the UAE, with Azmatullah Omarzai’s outstanding all-round display proving decisive. He claimed four wickets before producing a match-winning 40. This will be Afghanistan’s third T20I in Delhi, where they have won once and lost once.

In the capital - New Delhi remains at the heart of major global happenings, and now the cricketing world has arrived too. Afghanistan welcome India for a blockbuster three-match T20I series, with all three games set to unfold at the Arun Jaitley Stadium over five action-packed days. It promises a swift turnaround, but with a contest of this magnitude on the menu, who is complaining? With that, a very warm welcome to one and all.

... MATCH DAY ...

A first for Afghanistan - India playing Afghanistan in India is nothing new, and the two sides already met earlier this year in a one-off Test and a three-match ODI series. So, what is different this time? This will be the first time Afghanistan host India, with all 3 T20Is to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. It is a significant moment for Afghan cricket and adds another layer to what should be an intriguing series. The dawn of a new era - This will be Afghanistan's first T20I assignment since the T20 World Cup earlier in the year, where they exited at the group stage. After reaching the semifinals in 2024, they would have hoped to go further in conditions they know well, but their campaign ended earlier than expected. That has brought a change in leadership, with Ibrahim Zadran taking over the reins from Rashid Khan. Zadran has led Afghanistan in this format in the past when the designated skipper was unavailable, but this will be his first assignment as full-time captain. Naveen returns - The headline announcement is the return of fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq after nearly 2 years. He also missed the T20 World Cup due to a stress fracture in his right shoulder and will be eager to make his return count. Fazalhaq Farooqi provides another experienced option, while 23-year-old right-arm quick Abdollah Ahmadzai has earned his place in the squad after a strong campaign in the Kabul Premier League. Afghanistan's bowling attack remains heavily spin-oriented, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Rashid Khan and Nangeyalia Kharote among the options. Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib add further all-round depth, with each capable of winning a game on their own. Familiar faces at the top - Afghanistan have a settled top order in Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal. Noor ul Rahman, who is a wicketkeeper-batter, is the only uncapped player in the squad. The Iyer era gathers pace - It has been a bumpy start to the Shreyas Iyer era, with India losing series in Ireland and England before finally finding some success in Zimbabwe, where they handed the Chevrons a clean sweep. The Afghanistan series offers another opportunity to build some momentum and find greater clarity in the T20I setup. The opening puzzle - A string of low scores for Sanju Samson in Ireland and England saw teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi replace him in England, while Samson was not on the plane to Zimbabwe. With Samson back in the mix, the opening combination is one of the interesting selection calls, with Abhishek Sharma seemingly certain to take one of the spots at the top. The likes of Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan will also have to make a swift transition after leading their respective sides in the Duleep Trophy final, where Ishan's East Zone clinched the title. India also have a whole host of all-round options in Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, with both Sundar and Nitish cleared to feature in the series following their respective injuries. Bumrah is back - Jasprit Bumrah returns after missing the third ODI in England in July and the two-Test series in Sri Lanka in August due to a left knee injury. His return adds experience and quality to an attack that has Arshdeep Singh as the other experienced seam option. Harshit Rana's injury-hit year has continued, with a strain picked up during a recent match simulation ruling him out of the series. Yash Thakur has been drafted in as his replacement, while Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakaravarthy provide the specialist spin options. Form (Last 5 completed T20Is, most recent first) - AFG - WWLLL | IND - WWWLL. What to expect? Going by what panned out in the 2026 Delhi Premier League, which concluded not too long ago, batters enjoyed themselves at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with 200 being breached several times over the course of the tournament. Chasing sides had the better of things too, with teams batting second winning the majority of matches, aided by dew coming into play as the evening wore on. It is a surface that offers something for the quick bowlers early on but flattens out quickly, and one where even a big total batting first is no guarantee of safety. The elusive win - Afghanistan have beaten every other Test-playing nation at least once in international cricket, but India remain the only team they have never beaten. Back in 2024, in the Bengaluru T20I, they came ever so close, with the game going all the way to a Super Over before India eventually prevailed. The T20I record stands at 8-0 in completed games in favour of India, but Afghanistan will believe this is a chance to finally break that duck against an Indian outfit that is still finding its feet under Shreyas Iyer. Who are you backing to land the first punch?