India vs Afghanistan: India (Indian Cricket Team) won the second T20 international match against Afghanistan. Chasing the target of 160 runs, Team India lost 3 wickets in just 14.5 overs and won the match by scoring 163 runs. As a result, India took a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. After failing with the bat in the first match, Sanju Samson became the hero of the match by batting in the second match.
Sanju raised a storm
Sanju Samson played a devastating innings of 57 runs off just 20 balls. 7 fours and 4 sixes came from his bat. Sanju scored the fastest fifty of his T20 career thanks to this innings. His strike rate was over 285. The Indian wicket-keeper-batsman virtually baffled the Afghan bowlers with one boundary after another.
Abhishek also has a great pair
India’s run chase was also off to a great start. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma added 88 runs off just 38 balls for the first wicket. Abhishek played a blistering innings of 39 off 19 balls, which featured four sixes and two fours. After his brilliant performance in the previous match, the Indian opener was in the same aggressive mood in the second match as well.
159 runs for Afghanistan
After losing the toss and batting first, Afghanistan scored 159 runs for 8 wickets in 20 overs. In the beginning, Rahmanullah Gurbaz returned without scoring any runs, but captain Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal managed the team temporarily. Ibrahim scored 37 runs off 33 balls. Later, the pair of Azmatullah Omarzai and Darwish Rasooli took the team to 96 runs.
Prophet-Rashi fight
After Darwish Rasooli got out for 100 runs, experienced Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan took charge. In the seventh wicket, a crucial partnership of 48 runs was formed between them in 28 balls. Nabi scored 20 runs off 14 balls, while Rashid scored 28 runs off 16 balls to put Afghanistan in a fighting position. Nitish Kumar Reddy, the most successful with the ball for India—took 3 wickets for 24 runs in 3 overs. Arshdeep Singh took 2 wickets, Jasprit Bumrah, Akshar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi took one wicket each.
The match ended in 14.5 overs
India did not have much trouble chasing the target of 160 runs. After Abhishek and Sanju’s devastating batting, Ishan Kishan also played with responsibility. He scored an unbeaten 38 off 23 balls, with three fours and two sixes in his innings. In the end, India won the match by scoring 163 runs for 3 wickets in 14.5 overs. After the first match, Team India took the series 2-0 by winning the second match as well. The third and final T20 match of the series will be played on September 17.