India vs Afghanistan T20 Series: A series of three T20I matches was recently played between the Indian cricket team and the Afghanistan cricket team. In this series, both teams displayed a highly competitive performance, and several records were made. Although ultimately, Team India secured the series with a 3-0 victory. The Afghanistan team showcased a unique and impressive form in this series. So Let’s recap these three T20I matches.
India vs Afghanistan Cricket Series 2024
Actually, from January 11 to January 17, a series of three T20I matches was played between India and Afghanistan. In this series, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, the Indian team put up a splendid performance and claimed the series in their name. This series was the first T20I series between the two countries, generating a lot of excitement among fans from both nations. The series provided continuous entertainment to the fans, maintaining their enthusiasm. There were significant ups and downs at various stages, making each match highly thrilling. So let’s know about the three matches one by one.
Before delving into the three matches of the India-Afghanistan T20 series, let’s take a look at both teams, which had some interesting aspects.
India’s Squad for 3 T20Is against Afghanistan: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar.
Afghanistan’s Squad for 3 T20Is against Indian: Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (WK), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan.
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India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I Match
The first match of the 3-match T20I series between India and Afghanistan was played on January 11 at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. India won the toss and chose to bowl first, while Afghanistan, batting first, set a target of 158 runs, losing five wickets. Chasing a target of 159 runs, the Indian team achieved the goal in 17.3 overs, losing four wickets.
During this match, Shivam Dube delivered an outstanding performance for India. Dube played a brilliant inning, remaining unbeaten with 60 runs off 40 balls while also contributing with the ball, taking 1 wicket for 9 runs in 2 overs. His excellent performance earned him the Player of the Match award. On the Afghan side, Mohammad Nabi was the top scorer, making 42 runs off 27 balls. Mujeeb Ur Rahman was successful in picking up 2 wickets in the bowling department.
Top performers from India
Batting: Shivam Dube – 60* Runs, Balls – 40, Fours – 5, Sixes – 2
Jitesh Sharma – 31 Runs, Balls – 20, Fours – 5, Sixes – 0
Shubman Gill – 26 Runs, Balls – 22, Fours – 2, Sixes – 1
Bowling: Axar Patel – 4 Overs, 23 Runs, 2 Wickets, Econ. 5.75
Mukesh Kumar – 4 Overs, 33 Runs, 2 Wickets, Econ. 8.25
Shivam Dube – 2 Overs, 9 Runs, 1 Wickets, Econ. 4.50
Top performers from Afghanistan
Batting: Mohammad Nabi – 42 Runs, Balls – 27, Fours – 2, Sixes – 3
Azmatullah Omarzai – 29 Runs, Balls – 22, Fours – 2, Sixes – 1
Ibrahim Zadran – 25 Runs, Balls – 22, Fours – 2, Sixes – 1
Bowling: Mujeeb Ur Rahman – 4 Overs, 21 Runs, 2 Wickets, Econ. 5.25
Azmatullah Omarzai – 4 Overs, 33 Runs, 1 Wickets, Econ. 8.25
Fazalhaq Farooqi – 3 Overs, 26 Runs, 1 Wickets, Econ. 8.66
India vs Afghanistan 2nd T20I Match
The second T20I match between India and Afghanistan took place on January 14 at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. India won the toss and opted to bowl first. Afghanistan, batting first, managed to score 172 runs in 20 overs. In response, India scored 173 runs for the loss of four wickets in 15.4 overs, winning the match. With this victory, India secured the series in their name.
Once again, Shivam Dube delivered an excellent performance for India during this match. Dube played an unbeaten inning, scoring 63 runs off 32 balls while also dismissing a batsman. Despite his impressive performance, the Player of the Match award went to Axar Patel, who had a highly effective bowling spell. For Afghanistan, Gulbadin Naib was the top scorer, making 57 runs off 35 balls. Meanwhile, Karim Janat achieved success with the ball, taking 2 wickets.
Top performers from India
Batting: Yashasvi Jaiswal – 68 Runs, Balls – 34, Fours – 5, Sixes – 6
Shivam Dube – 63 Runs, Balls – 32, Fours – 5, Sixes – 4
Virat Kohli – 29 Runs, Balls – 16, Fours – 5, Sixes – 0
Bowling: Arshdeep Singh – 4 Overs, 32 Runs, 3 Wickets, Econ. 8.00
Axar Patel – 4 Overs, 17 Runs, 2 Wickets, Econ. 4.25
Ravi Bishnoi – 4 Overs, 39 Runs, 2 Wickets, Econ. 9.75
Top performers from Afghanistan
Batting: Gulbadin Naib – 57 Runs, Balls – 35, Fours – 5, Sixes – 4
Najibullah Zadran – 23 Runs, Balls – 21, Fours – 1, Sixes – 2
Mujeeb Ur Rahman – 21 Runs, Balls – 9, Fours – 2, Sixes – 2
Bowling: Karim Janat – 2 Overs, 13 Runs, 2 Wickets, Econ. 6.50
Fazalhaq Farooqi – 3.4 Overs, 26 Runs, 1 Wickets, Econ. 7.63
Naveen-ul-Haq – 3 Overs, 33 Runs, 1 Wickets, Econ. 11.00
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India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I Match
The third and final T20I match between India and Afghanistan was played on January 17 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. This match has become the most thrilling match in the history of cricket to date. In this match, India won the toss and decided to bat first. Despite losing 4 wickets for 22 runs, Team India scored 212 runs in their innings. It initially seemed that the Indian team would easily win the match. However, Afghanistan displayed strong batting performance and also scored 212 runs for the loss of 6 wickets, resulting in a tied match.
And this is where the real excitement began. In the third T20I between India and Afghanistan, the first Super Over took place, where both teams displayed a strong performance and scored 16-16 runs, resulting in a tied Super Over. In such a situation, to determine the outcome of the match, another Super Over had to be played, marking the first instance in the history of cricket where a Super Over was conducted even after a Super Over ended in a draw in international cricket. In the second Super Over, India scored 12 runs while batting first. Chasing the target, Afghanistan managed to score only 1 run, and India clinched a historic contest in their favor.
In this match, Indian captain Rohit Sharma played a spectacular century, scoring 121 runs, which was his 5th century in T20I cricket, making him the only batsman in the world to achieve this feat. Due to his powerful performance, he was honored with the Player of the Match award. During this, Gulbadin Naib from the Afghanistan team scored the most with 55 runs off 23 balls. Meanwhile, in the bowling department, Fareed Ahmad took 3 wickets. At one point in the match, it seemed like Afghanistan might win and create history. However, due to the strong performance of the Indian players, this possibility did not materialize.
Top performers from India
Batting: Rohit Sharma – 121* Runs, Balls – 69, Fours – 11, Sixes – 8
Rinku Singh – 69 Runs, Balls – 39, Fours – 2, Sixes – 6
Yashasvi Jaiswal – 4 Runs, Balls – 6, Fours – 0, Sixes – 0
Bowling: Washington Sundar – 3 Overs, 18 Runs, 3 Wickets, Econ. 6.00
Kuldeep Yadav – 3 Overs, 31 Runs, 1 Wickets, Econ. 10.33
Avesh Khan – 4 Overs, 55 Runs, 1 Wickets, Econ. 13.75
Top performers from Afghanistan
Batting: Gulbadin Naib – 55* Runs, Balls – 23, Fours – 4, Sixes – 4
Rahmanullah Gurbaz – 50 Runs, Balls – 32, Fours – 3, Sixes – 4
Ibrahim Zadran – 50 Runs, Balls – 41, Fours – 4, Sixes – 1
Bowling: Fareed Ahmad – 4 Overs, 20 Runs, 3 Wickets, Econ. 5.00
Azmatullah Omarzai – 4 Overs, 33 Runs, 1 Wickets, Econ. 8.25
Qais Ahmad – 4 Overs, 28 Runs, 0 Wickets, Econ. 7.00
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Key Highlights of India vs Afghanistan 3 T20I Match Series
- The T20 series played between India and Afghanistan was the first bilateral T20 series between the two countries. And every time these two teams have faced each other so far, the Indian team has emerged victorious.
- With this series, two of the greatest Indian batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, have made a comeback in T20 International cricket. It should be noted that both batsmen played their last T20 International match during the T20 World Cup in 2022, where they were sidelined due to India’s inability to advance further in the tournament. However, once again, looking ahead to the T20 World Cup in 2024, the BCCI has provided both of them an opportunity in the team. It remains to be seen how the upcoming T20 World Cup unfolds for these two batsmen.
- The series of three T20 matches played against Afghanistan was quite crucial for the Indian team, as the selection for the upcoming T20 World Cup depended on it. However, along with that, considering the performances in the IPL 2024, players will also get an opportunity to be part of the team.
- Throughout this entire series, Shivam Dube has demonstrated with his batting and bowling that he can be a valuable fast-bowling all-rounder for India. Due to his strong performances in almost all the matches, he has been honored with the Player of the Series award.
- In the series of three T20 Internationals played between India and Afghanistan, although the Afghanistan team couldn’t win a single match. But the way Afghan players have performed in all three matches has demonstrated that they will be among the best teams in world cricket in the times to come. And if, in the future, they manage to defeat big teams like India, it won’t be surprising, considering the way their performance is evolving over time. They are commendable.
Big records made in India vs Afghanistan 3 T20I match series
- In the third T20 International match of the series played between India and Afghanistan, not just one, but two Super Overs took place. This is the first time such a occurrence has happened in the history of international cricket.
- Rohit Sharma, with a century in the third T20 against Afghanistan, has now claimed the record for the most centuries in T20 Internationals. The Hitman scored his fifth T20I century against Afghanistan. No other batsman in T20Is has achieved as many centuries to date.
- In this series, Afghanistan’s star all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, who has been a thorn in the side of Indian bowlers with his batting, has hit more than 100 sixes in T20 Internationals. With this feat, he becomes the first player from Afghanistan to hit more than 100 sixes in T20I cricket. He currently has 101 sixes to his name.
- In the last T20 International match, the Afghanistan team set their highest T20I score against India. Afghanistan scored 212 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 20 overs. However, despite this impressive total, they had to face defeat.
- In the final match of this series, Rinku Singh and Rohit Sharma from the Indian team together scored 36 runs, becoming the first pair in T20 International cricket to achieve such a feat. They scored 36 runs as a partnership. Although Yuvraj Singh had accomplished this feat in a single over in 2007, where he scored 36 runs against Stuart Broad. Later, in 2021, Kieron Pollard achieved this feat against Akila Dananjaya.
Apart from these records, several significant records were made in this series, and it is not at all easy to cover all of them.
Top performers in India vs Afghanistan 3 T20I match series 2024
Batting:
Shivam Dube (IND) – 3 Match, 3 Innings, 124 Runs, 63* Best Score, SR – 158.97, 100s – 0, 50s – 2, 4s – 10, 6s – 6
RG Sharma (IND) – 3 Match, 3 Innings, 121 Runs, 121* Best Score, SR – 168.05, 100s – 1, 50s – 0, 4s – 11, 6s – 8
Gulbadin Naib (AFG) – 3 Match, 2 Innings, 112 Runs, 57 Best Score, SR – 193.10, 100s – 0, 50s – 2, 4s – 9, 6s – 8
RK Singh (IND) – 3 Match, 3 Innings, 94 Runs, 69* Best Score, SR – 164.91, 100s – 0, 50s – 2, 4s – 5, 6s – 6
Mohammad Nabi (AFG) – 3 Match, 3 Innings, 90 Runs, 42 Best Score, SR – 147.54, 100s – 0, 50s – 0, 4s – 5, 6s – 6
Bowling:
AR Patel (IND) – 2 Match, 2 Innings, 40 Runs, 4 Wickets, Best Bowling Figures – 2/17, Econ – 5.00
Fareed Ahmad (AFG) – 1 Match, 1 Innings, 20 Runs, 3 Wickets, Best Bowling Figures – 3/20, Econ – 5.00
Arshdeep Singh (IND) – 2 Match, 2 Innings, 60 Runs, 3 Wickets, Best Bowling Figures – 3/32, Econ – 7.50
Washington Sundar (IND) – 3 Match, 3 Innings, 68 Runs, 3 Wickets, Best Bowling Figures – 3/18, Econ – 7.55
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (AFG) – 2 Match, 2 Innings, 53 Runs, 2 Wickets, Best Bowling Figures – 2/21, Econ – 8.83
After creating a sensation in the series of 3 T20 matches against Afghanistan, the next mission for the Indian team is set to begin in the England Test series, starting from January 25th. Fans are quite excited about this series, and their enthusiasm is essential. Since this series is crucial for both England and India, it will be interesting to see which team emerges victorious. The final match of this Test series will be played on March 7th.
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