Sanju Samson, the wicketkeeper-batter, contributed a vital 57 runs while all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed three wickets, leading India to a seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the second Twenty20 match held in Delhi on Tuesday. This win secured an unassailable 2-0 lead for India in the three-match series.

After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, India quickly made an impact by dismissing Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in the second over. The visitors were soon struggling at 96-5.

Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran steadied the innings with a score of 37 off 33 balls. A late surge from Mohammad Nabi, who scored 20, and Rashid Khan, with 28 runs, helped Afghanistan reach a total of 159-8 in their 20 overs. Reddy emerged as the standout bowler for India, finishing with impressive figures of 3-24.

India’s chase began aggressively, with Samson and Abhishek Sharma putting together an 88-run opening partnership in just 38 balls. However, Rashid Khan sparked a comeback for Afghanistan by dismissing Sharma for 39 and then quickly removing Samson, followed by India captain Shreyas Iyer for 11, reducing India to 123-3.

Despite this, India’s batting lineup showed depth and resilience. Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma combined for an unbeaten 40 runs off 25 balls, steering India to victory with 31 balls remaining. Kishan sealed the win with a boundary.

India had already taken a strong lead in the series with a commanding seven-wicket win in the opening match on Sunday.

Reflecting on the match, captain Shreyas Iyer stated, “Looking at the last match and coming into this one, we were demanding a comprehensive win and today was a good one.” He added, “The journey is always going to be a roller-coaster and you have to be in equilibrium as much as possible. The more you embrace the situation, the better it gets.”

India will face Afghanistan once again in the final T20 match at the same venue on Thursday. Iyer mentioned that the last game would provide an opportunity to give playing time to squad members who have not featured in the first two matches. “Definitely we want all of them to get used to the wicket and get some practice, so it will be a good opportunity to give a chance to the guys sitting out,” he said.