India Seal T20I Series Against Afghanistan as Sanju Samson’s 57 Powers Seven-Wicket Wi
Nitish Kumar Reddy took a career-best 3/24 as Afghanistan were restricted to 159/8 before Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma powered India to 163/3 in just 14.5 overs at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
India’s seven-wicket T20I victory over Afghanistan, highlighting Sanju Samson’s innings and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s bowling
Table of Contents (15 sections)
India have secured the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan with one game remaining after completing a commanding seven-wicket victory at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Sanju Samson led an aggressive run chase with 57 from only 22 deliveries after Nitish Kumar Reddy’s career-best 3/24 helped restrict Afghanistan to 159/8 on September 15.
India replied with 163/3 in 14.5 overs, reaching the 160-run target with 31 balls remaining and taking an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
The result confirms the central claims around the match: Samson did score 57 from 22 balls, Nitish returned 3/24, India won by seven wickets and the series now stands 2-0.
The third match is scheduled for Thursday, September 17, also at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Key Takeaways
India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the second T20I at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on September 15.
The victory gave India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
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Sanju Samson top-scored with 57 off 22 balls, including seven fours and four sixes.
Samson reached his half-century from 20 balls and added 88 runs with Abhishek Sharma.
Abhishek struck 39 off 19 balls, while Ishan Kishan finished unbeaten on 38 from 23.
Nitish Kumar Reddy returned a career-best 3/24 as Afghanistan made 159/8.
India completed the chase at 163/3 in 14.5 overs.
The third and final T20I is scheduled for September 17 at the same venue in Delhi.
Nitish Kumar Reddy Leads India’s Bowling Effort
India won the toss and chose to field, and the bowlers immediately put Afghanistan under pressure.
Jasprit Bumrah began with a maiden before Arshdeep Singh removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in the second over.
Afghanistan continued to lose wickets at regular intervals despite captain Ibrahim Zadran attempting to hold the innings together.
Nitish Kumar Reddy produced the standout bowling figures, finishing with 3/24, his career-best return in T20 internationals.
Arshdeep took 2/35, while Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel claimed one wicket each.
The complete Indian bowling returns highlighted a balanced attack:
Nitish Kumar Reddy — 3/24
Arshdeep Singh — 2/35
Jasprit Bumrah — 1/25
Ravi Bishnoi — 1/32
Axar Patel — 1/28
The wickets prevented Afghanistan from building the kind of middle-overs momentum needed for a much larger total.
Afghanistan Recover to 159/8
Afghanistan were 105/6 after 15 overs before their experienced lower order produced an important recovery.
Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with 37, while Darwish Rasooli contributed 26.
Rashid Khan then struck 28 and Mohammad Nabi added 20 as the pair put together useful late runs.
Their partnership briefly pushed Afghanistan towards a score beyond 160.
India regained control late in the innings, with Bumrah striking in the 19th over and Nitish removing a set batter in the final over.
Afghanistan eventually finished on 159/8 from 20 overs, leaving India a target of 160.
Samson and Abhishek Take Apart Afghanistan’s Attack
The chase quickly became one-sided.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma attacked from the start and took India to 82 without loss by the end of the six-over powerplay.
Their opening partnership reached 88 from just 6.2 overs, effectively removing most of the pressure from the chase.
Abhishek, who had already scored 82 from 32 balls in the first T20I, continued his attacking form with 39 from 19 deliveries.
Samson was even more destructive.
He hit seven fours and four sixes in his 22-ball 57 and reached his half-century in only 20 balls.
His strike rate for the innings was 259.09.
The performance was particularly significant after a run of low scores leading into the match.
Rashid Khan Removes Both Openers
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan eventually broke the opening partnership.
Abhishek hit him for six but was dismissed attempting another attacking stroke.
Samson continued to target Rashid, completing his fifty before adding another six. He was then dismissed from the final ball of the same over, caught by Mohammad Nabi.
Rashid eventually accounted for all three Indian wickets to fall.
By then, however, India had already reached 100 by the eighth over and the required run rate had dropped below five an over.
The match was effectively under India's control.
Ishan Kishan Finishes the Chase
Ishan Kishan ensured there was no late opening for Afghanistan.
He remained unbeaten on 38 from 23 balls, striking three fours and two sixes. Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 15, while captain Shreyas Iyer made 11.
India reached 163/3 after 14.5 overs.
That completed a second consecutive seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the series.
India had also won the opening T20I in Delhi by seven wickets on September 13, when Abhishek Sharma’s 82 from 32 balls was the major contribution in the chase.
Samson Answers With the Bat
Samson entered the second T20I under scrutiny after a sequence of modest scores.
The ICC noted that his five previous international innings had produced scores of 5, 0, 1, 27 and 10.
His response was a 20-ball fifty followed by a 57-run innings that immediately changed the direction of the chase.
After the match, Samson also acknowledged the pressure that accompanies playing international cricket and said external criticism does affect players.
His innings in Delhi, however, is best assessed through what happened on the field: he gave India a rapid start and helped reduce a potentially competitive chase to a comfortable one.
Nitish’s 3/24 Was a Career Best
While Samson provided the most explosive batting moment, Nitish Kumar Reddy played an equally important role earlier.
His three wickets came during a period in which India repeatedly disrupted Afghanistan’s attempts to build partnerships.
The ICC confirmed that 3/24 represented Nitish’s best T20I bowling figures.
Akashvani News also reported that Nitish was named Player of the Match for his bowling performance.
His contribution helped keep Afghanistan below 160 despite the late resistance from Nabi and Rashid.
India Take an Unassailable 2-0 Lead
The victory gives India an unassailable 2-0 advantage in the three-match contest.
That means Afghanistan can still win the final game, but they can no longer win or draw the series.
The ICC officially described the September 15 result as India clinching the series with one match remaining.
It is also worth noting that Afghanistan are technically the host team for this bilateral series even though all three matches are being played in Delhi.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board and BCCI agreed to stage the series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where Afghanistan has hosted international fixtures in India.
Third T20I Is on September 17
The final match will be played on September 17, 2026, at the same Arun Jaitley Stadium.
The BCCI’s official schedule lists:
1st T20I — September 13 — Delhi
2nd T20I — September 15 — Delhi
3rd T20I — September 17 — Delhi
So the claim that the final match is “tomorrow” is correct as of September 16.
India will enter the match seeking a 3-0 series sweep, while Afghanistan will be attempting to avoid a whitewash.
India’s Batting Approach Remains Aggressive
The most striking feature of India’s chase was not simply that they won but how quickly they completed it.
India scored 82 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket.
Samson and Abhishek then reached 88 together in only 6.2 overs, meaning more than half the required total had been scored before the seventh over was completed.
Even after both openers were dismissed, the asking rate was low enough for Kishan and the middle order to finish without taking unnecessary risks.
India required 160 from 120 balls.
They reached the target in 89 deliveries.
That left 31 unused balls.
Afghanistan Need More From Their Top Order
Afghanistan's late-order resistance kept them competitive, but their top and middle order were unable to build enough substantial partnerships.
Gurbaz was dismissed without scoring.
Ibrahim’s 37 provided some stability, while Rasooli made 26, but India repeatedly struck before Afghanistan could establish sustained momentum.
At 105/6 after 15 overs, Afghanistan were in danger of finishing well below 150.
Nabi and Rashid improved the total, but against India's current batting approach, 159 proved insufficient.
Afghanistan's bowlers then faced immediate pressure from Samson and Abhishek.
Rashid’s three wickets were the main bowling positive, but they arrived after India had already built a decisive advantage.
What the Result Means for India
The series victory continues a stronger run for India after mixed T20I results earlier in the year.
The ICC noted that India had previously lost consecutive series in Ireland and England before sweeping Zimbabwe 3-0 and now taking a 2-0 lead over Afghanistan.
For the current squad, the Afghanistan series is also an opportunity to settle combinations before upcoming international assignments.
Shreyas Iyer is captaining the team, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain.
India's squad also includes several established T20 players alongside younger options, making performances such as Samson’s and Nitish’s relevant to selection competition as well as the immediate series result.
Bottom Line
India have officially sealed their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan after winning the second match in Delhi by seven wickets.
Afghanistan posted 159/8, with Ibrahim Zadran making 37 and late contributions coming from Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi.
Nitish Kumar Reddy led India’s bowling with a career-best 3/24, while Arshdeep Singh took two wickets.
India then made short work of the target.
Sanju Samson smashed 57 from 22 balls, Abhishek Sharma added 39 from 19 and the pair shared an 88-run opening stand. Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 38 helped India complete the chase at 163/3 in 14.5 overs.
The result puts India 2-0 ahead with the series already secured.
The third and final T20I takes place at the same Arun Jaitley Stadium on September 17, when India will have the opportunity to complete a 3-0 sweep.
Key Takeaway
India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets to seal the T20I series 2-0.
Sanju Samson smashed 57 off 22 balls; Nitish Kumar Reddy took 3/24.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
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