India clinch T20I series as Samson, Reddy shine against Afghanistan

With a 22-ball 57, including seven fours and four sixes, Sanju Samson returned to form and helped India win the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan with a game in hand. Nitish Reddy and Arshdeep Singh shared five wickets to restrict Afghanistan to 159 for 8. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan provided support with useful 30s as India reached the target in 14.5 overs and won by 7 wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead. Samson then led the chase with a blistering knock.

Abhishek was his explosive self as he began India's chase with two fours off Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the opening over, while he also put away Mohammad Nabi for a couple of sixes as he raced away to 25 off 14. Samson, who was on 8 off 10, surpassed his opening partner with three fours and a six off Azmatullah Omarzai in the fifth over, which yielded 20. Abhishek's six was followed by 6, 4, 4, 6 for Samson in the final Powerplay over bowled by Nabi, bringing India's total to 82 for 0 after six overs.

Abhishek also scored a century off Rashid Khan, but the left-hander was out for 39 off 19 runs shortly after. In the same over, Samson reached a 20-ball fifty with a boundary, struck a six after that, and was then dismissed by Rashid, leaving India at 99 for 2 after 7 overs. Afghanistan bowled some quiet overs, with the left-hander and Shreyas Iyer taking no risks against the wristspinners. Kishan got going quickly, dismissing Noor for a maximum. But the carnage in the Powerplay ensured India were in pole position, moving to 117 for 2 at the halfway stage.

Before Shreyas decided to take on Rashid, he was on 5 from 8 and went over covers for a six. However, the legspinner struck quickly, capturing skipper Ibrahim Zadran's good catch at slip for his third wicket. Kishan struck two fours, a six off Mujeeb, and a boundary off Rashid to finish the game for India, which needed 35 runs from nine overs to win. India did so with 5.1 overs left to complete the innings.

Earlier, opting to bowl again, India got off to a good start as Jasprit Bumrah bowled a maiden to Zadran before Arshdeep struck with a short and slow delivery to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz for his second successive duck. In the second over, Zadran started Afghanistan off with two boundaries, followed by two more fours off Arshdeep. Sediqullah Atal also got a four off the left-arm seamer, who went for 13 in his second over. Afghanistan won the match 41-1, with Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi combining to concede three goals.

After a half-century partnership between the pair at the second wicket, Zadran was bowled by Nitish's short ball straight to the deep middle wicket. Atal then handed a catch to long off to give Bishnoi his first wicket while Nitish dismissed Gulbadin Naib off a leading edge, leaving Afghanistan at 67 for 4 in the 11th over. Darwish Rasooli and Omarzai began a counter-attack, with the former striking sixes off Shivam Dube and Axar. However, the partnership came to an end when Axar dismissed Omarzai, who had previously been saved by a drop from Bishnoi. As Afghanistan fell to 100 for 6 in the 15th over, Arshdeep returned to the attack and sent Rasooli back.

Rashid came down the track and slashed Bumrah for a boundary as Nabi set the tone for the death overs with a four and a six off Bishnoi. After that, the legspinner all-rounder faced Arshdeep and hit two fours and a six in the 16-run 18th over. Bumrah eventually dismissed Nabi after he hit a four off him, ending the entertaining 48-run stand. Nitish then picked up the wicket of Rashid in the final over but ended up getting hit for a six by Noor Ahmad off the last ball as Afghanistan finished three runs more than what they posted in the opening T20I, although this total too proved insufficient.