India Vs Afghanistan Highlights 3rd T20I 2026: Men In Blue Complete Dominant Series Sweep Over Afghan Team

Hello, we are back with another live blog, and it is India Vs Afghanistan in the 2nd T20I. Stay tuned for all the live updates.

The India vs Afghanistan T20I series will be live-streamed digitally on the FanCode app and website in India, while the live television telecast will be available on the Sony Sports Network, specifically on Sony Sports Ten 5 (in English) as well as Sony Sports Ten 3 and Sony Sports Ten 4 (for regional language feeds), alongside free-to-air coverage on DD Sports.

India have dominated the T20I series in Delhi, sealing an unassailable 2-0 lead after two comprehensive victories within three days. While Afghanistan showed flashes of brilliance—such as Azmatullah Omarzai’s resilient 64 in the opener and late fireworks from Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan in the second match—their totals proved insufficient against a clinical Indian side. India's clinical chases were powered by explosive batting performances from Abhishek Sharma and a blistering 22-ball 57 by Sanju Samson, while a well-rounded bowling attack featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Nitish Kumar Reddy effectively stifled the Afghan lineup.

Afghanistan's primary struggle stems from a fragile top order that frequently collapses or consumes too many dot balls during the Powerplay, forcing the team into a constant catch-up game. A more proactive approach—such as spreading experienced players like Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid Khan higher up rather than stacking them outside the top five—could help prevent early stalls, while their bowling attack remains overly reliant on a one-dimensional spin strategy that in-form Indian batters have easily neutralized. With the series already sealed, Thursday offers India a chance to rotate their bench and test alternative combinations or extra seamers ahead of upcoming fixtures, allowing fringe players valuable game time in low-pressure conditions.

Afghanistan have won the toss and have opted to field.

India Playing XI: Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah

Afghanistan Playing XI: Ibrahim Zadran(c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Noor ul Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai.

Fazalhaq Farooqi opens the bowling for Afghanistan, with Sanju Sharma and Abhishek Sharma taking the crease for India. Fazalhaq immediately finds his rhythm, landing his very first delivery right on a good length as it jags back sharply into Sanju, who is on strike. Sanju gets India off the mark with a single off the second ball. Abhishek successfully blocks his first delivery before crashing Fazalhaq away for a boundary on the fifth ball of the over.

Azmatullah Omarzai takes the second over for Afghanistan, and Sanju Samson gets a single, cut to deep point. Abhishek Sharma then decides to shift gears, swiveling across to a delivery on his legs and dispatching it over deep square leg for a massive six.

After a short ball angling away induces a swing and a miss, Abhishek follows up by driving Omarzai cleanly down to long-on for a boundary. Abhishek charged down the road on the last ball and hit it for a six.

A big over for India as Abhishek Sharma keeps the momentum going. After taking the strike on the second ball of the third over, Abhishek launched Fazalhaq Farooqi for two consecutive sixes followed by two boundaries, collecting a massive 23 runs from the over.

Sanju Samson joins the party as Mujeeb Ur Rahman comes into the attack for the fourth over. After playing a couple of dot balls, Sanju clears his front leg to a nicely tossed-up delivery and smokes it straight down the ground for his first six. He follows it up with a single down to long-on, pushing India past the 50-run mark. Abhishek Sharma then caps off the over by slicing width from Mujeeb over cover-point for a boundary, racing to 46 off just 15 balls as India reach 56 without loss after 4 overs.

Mohammad Nabi comes into the attack for the fifth over and gets hammered for a staggering 29 runs. Sanju Samson welcomes him with back-to-back sixes, thumping the first over his head and launching the second over long-on. With a single off the third ball, Sanju reaches a major milestone of 9,000 runs in T20 cricket, though he gets a reprieve as captain Zadran drops a tough chance at mid-off. Abhishek Sharma then takes charge, blasting his third six of the over over long-on to bring up a sensational fifty in style. He follows it up with a square cut for four and caps off the explosive over by smashing another six straight down the ground.

Rashid Khan is introduced for the final over of the powerplay, conceding 15 runs. After Sanju Samson takes a single off the second ball, Abhishek Sharma takes charge against the star spinner. He dances down the track to slam consecutive boundaries through deep extra cover and clear the inner circle on the off side. Abhishek caps off the over and the powerplay by launching a massive six to sweeper cover, bringing up a staggering 100-0 for India, the highest powerplay score for the team in T20Is.

Highest individual scores in Overs 1-6 in Men’s T20Is.
76*(22) - Abhishek Sharma (IND) vs AFG, Delhi, 2026
74*(25) - Kuldeep Gholiya (Portugal) vs Malta, Gibraltar, 2023
73*(22) - Travis Head (AUS) vs SCOT, Edinburgh, 2024
68*(21) - Wintley Burton (SER) vs BUL, Sofia, 2022
68*(28) - George Munsey (SCOT) vs Austria, Edinburgh, 2023

Abhishek Sharma brings up his third T20I hundred in style, marking the fastest century by any batter from a Test-playing nation. Moving to 99 with a massive pull shot for six off Abdullah Ahmadzai, Abhishek completes his landmark with a quiet push down the ground for a single. He celebrates the milestone by taking off his helmet, sitting on the ground, and striking a meditation yoga pose.

Abhishek Sharma's incredible knock comes to an end as he is caught behind off Rashid Khan for 108 off just 34 balls. Trying to loft a googly outside off over extra cover, Abhishek gets a massive outside edge through to wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz. He walks back after an explosive innings featuring 9 fours and 11 sixes.

Just as India are reeling from Abhishek Sharma's departure, disaster strikes again as Tilak Varma is run out for 2 off 5 balls. A mix-up in the middle results in a direct hit from Rashid Khan, leaving Tilak well short of his ground. India lose their second wicket in quick succession as Shreyas Iyer makes his way to the crease.

Sanju Samson's fine knock comes to a close moments after reaching a hard-fought fifty. Having rotated the strike well and brought up his milestone off 34 balls, Samson departs as Azmatullah Omarzai strikes for Afghanistan, and sending the right-hander back to the pavilion.

Relive the moment, when Abhishek Sharma scored the fastest T20I hundred for India!

Shivam Dube falls for 14 off 10 balls, courtesy of a spectacular catch in the deep by Rashid Khan off Azmatullah Omarzai's bowling. Trying to flick a pitched-up delivery away, Dube holes out towards long-on, where Rashid sprints a long way to his left and puts in a stunning full-length dive to grab it out of thin air. After a check by the third umpire confirms a clean take, Dube has to walk back.

India cross the 200-run mark in 17 overs, reaching 201-4 against Afghanistan. Facing Abdullah Ahmadzai in the 17th over, Shreyas Iyer flicks a full toss on middle and leg towards wide long-on. A fumble by Rashid Khan in the deep allows the batters to comfortably scamper back for a third run, bringing up India's double century in blistering fashion.

Ishan Kishan is run out for 10 off 8 balls following a quick piece of brilliance from Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Facing Fazalhaq Farooqi in the 18th over, Shreyas Iyer chases a low full toss outside off and edges it towards the keeper. Gurbaz quickly gathers the ball and fires a direct hit at the non-striker's end, catching Kishan well short of his crease as India suffer another blow.

Nitish Kumar Reddy departs for 1 (4), becoming the latest wicket to fall as India slip further in the closing stages. Facing Abdullah Ahmadzai in the 18th over, Nitish tries to flick a pitched-up delivery on middle and leg, but ends up hitting it straight to Mujeeb Ur Rahman at deep mid-wicket. Mujeeb doesn't have to move an inch as India lose their sixth wicket. Shreyas Iyer hits six on the last ball.

Shreyas Iyer departs as Ibrahim Zadran finds the bulls eye.

It was truly an innings of two distinct halves at Delhi. The opening chapter belonged lock, stock, and barrel to the Men in Blue, as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson tore into the Afghanistan bowling attack with unrelenting aggression.

Abhishek spearheaded the charge masterclass-style, raining down a barrage of boundaries and towering sixes. He raced to his half-century well inside the field restrictions, remaining unbeaten on an astonishing 76 off just 22 deliveries when the powerplay came to a close. Fueled by this carnage, India plundered 100 runs in the first six overs.

Abhishek's onslaught didn't stop there. He went on to bring up a breathtaking century in just 30 balls, setting the record for the fastest T20I hundred by any batter from a Test-playing nation.

However, cricket is a game of momentum, and the second half of the innings belonged to a resilient Afghanistan side. A dramatic slide in the middle and death overs checked India's relentless charge, eventually restricting them to a formidable 221/7 after a high-octane 20 overs.

Chasing 222, Afghanistan started strong. Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit two fours in a row, and captain Ibrahim Zadran hit a big six, scoring 15 runs in the first over.

Jasprit Bumrah bowled a tight second over, giving away only six runs. Despite a clever four carved through backward point by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, India's star pacer kept the pressure on, moving Afghanistan to 21-0.

Axar Patel turned the match around in his very first over, striking twice. He first bowled Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 15 with a straight delivery, and later had Sediqullah Atal caught by Abhishek Sharma, leaving Afghanistan reeling at 33-2.

Jasprit Bumrah struck a massive blow with a trademark masterclass delivery to dismiss Darwish Rasooli for a golden duck. Hurling a pinpoint yorker right into the blockhole at 140 kph, Bumrah caught the batter completely off guard. The searing delivery smashed into Rasooli's toe before ricocheting onto the stumps, leaving Afghanistan three down and plunging their chase into a deeper collapse.

Yash Thakur struck in the final over of the powerplay, removing Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran for 25 after he holed out to deep square leg. Despite three dot balls following the wicket, Noor ul Rahman ended the over with a boundary, pushing Afghanistan to 51-4.

Noor ul Rahman survived a double reprieve in one over, as Tilak Varma dropped a catch at long-off and Sanju Samson missed a stumping. Escaping twice off Axar Patel's bowling, Noor immediately capitalized by driving the very next ball for a boundary to third man.

Ravi Bishnoi kept the pressure on in the ninth over despite an early scare, as Azmatullah Omarzai launched a full delivery over long-on for a massive six. After a few singles, Bishnoi struck back by removing Noor ul Rahman for 11, with Nitish Reddy taking a comfortable catch at long-off. Incoming batter Mohammad Nabi immediately got off the mark with a sharp cut for four, ending the eventful over with Afghanistan moving to 74-5.

Half of the Afghanistan innings is complete with half of their batters back in the pavilion. Afghanistan's innings stands in stark contrast to India's. India was 142 for 1 by the 10-over mark, while Afghanistan is at 78, needing 144 runs off 60 balls.

Nitish Reddy bowled Mohammad Nabi for eight, rattling the stumps as Afghanistan's batting lineup continued to crumble.

Nitish Kumar Reddy turned the match completely on its head with a sensational three-wicket over. He began by cleaning up Mohammad Nabi, then had Azmatullah Omarzai caught by Ravi Bishnoi. After a brief single, Reddy castled Mujeeb Ur Rahman with a pinpoint yorker. Concluding with a tight dot ball to Abdullah Ahmadzai, he left Afghanistan reeling at 82-8.

Ravi Bishnoi struck to remove Rashid Khan, pushing India ever closer to a dominant series clean sweep.

Ravi Bishnoi picked up the final wicket to seal the demolition job. Abdullah Ahmadzai attempted a wild slog across the line to a well-tossed-up delivery on off, mistiming it high into the air towards deep midwicket where Axar Patel moved to his left to take a well-judged catch.

India sealed a 3-0 clean sweep by defending 221/7, bowling out Afghanistan for 94 in 14.1 overs to win by a massive 127 runs.