India won the toss and opted to bat first, setting a challenging total of 181 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Suryakumar Yadav played a crucial role with an explosive knock, scoring 54 runs off just 28 balls. His innings were marked by innovative shot-making and aggressive stroke play, which significantly influenced the course of the game. Supporting him, Hardik Pandya also made a valuable contribution with a quickfire 32 runs off 24 balls, demonstrating his prowess in power-hitting.
In response, Afghanistan started their chase but struggled against India's disciplined bowling attack. Despite Rashid Khan's commendable efforts with the ball, picking up three crucial wickets including those of Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav, Afghanistan could only muster 134/7 in their 20 overs. Captain Najibullah Zadran fought hard with 29 runs, but the rest of the batting line-up faltered against India's diverse bowling strategies and consistent pressure.
Suryakumar Yadav's aggressive batting set the tone for India’s innings, changing the momentum in their favour. Hardik Pandya showed his prowess with crucial runs in the latter part of the innings. Rashid Khan was Afghanistan’s standout performer with the ball, taking 3 wickets and keeping his team in contention briefly. Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh were exceptional, sharing six wickets between them and restricting Afghanistan effectively.
India’s dominant performance in both batting and bowling departments ensured their victory over Afghanistan, continuing their unbeaten streak against them in international T20 cricket. The win solidifies India’s position as one of the favourites in the T20 World Cup 2024, while Afghanistan faces the challenge of regrouping for their upcoming matches.
India’s next challenge will be against Bangladesh, while Afghanistan will look to bounce back in their subsequent matches in the tournament.