India were set a target of 160 runs to win after Afghanistan posted 159 for eight in the second match of their three-game bilateral Twenty20 series at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. The visiting side navigated an unstable batting performance, surviving a steep middle-order collapse before recovering through late-innings power hitting in New Delhi. The outcome leaves the contest evenly poised as the hosts begin their pursuit under the lights.
A late lower-order counterattack transformed the momentum in New Delhi.
Afghanistan initially built a promising foundation during the powerplay before Indian seamers dismantled their top order. Captain Ibrahim Zadran anchored the early phase with a composed 37 that included six boundaries, but a lack of steady partnerships left the middle order exposed. Wickets fell in quick succession as Indian bowlers maintained disciplined lengths, restricting scoring opportunities across the middle overs and leaving the visitors struggling to construct a defendable total.
Veteran all-rounders Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan stabilized the innings with aggressive hitting in the closing overs. Nabi struck a boundary off Jasprit Bumrah to reach 20 before holing out to Shreyas Iyer, after which Rashid took control of the scoring rate. The leg-spinning all-rounder targeted left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh in the 18th over, collecting two fours and a towering six over cover in an 18-run over. Rashid departed for 28 after Axar Patel produced a full-length diving catch in the deep off Nitish Kumar Reddy, before Noor Ahmad struck a six off the final ball to lift the total to 159.
The visitors salvaged a competitive total from an uncertain position.
Reddy finished as the standout performer for the Indian bowling attack, claiming three wickets to halt Afghanistan`s scoring surges. Arshdeep claimed two wickets despite conceding 35 runs from his four-over allocation, while Bumrah delivered a typically controlled spell of one for 25.
India launched their run chase with immediate intent in the opening over. Opening batter Abhishek Sharma, fresh from a match-winning display in the series opener, walked out alongside wicketkeeper Sanju Samson to confront Afghan off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Sharma struck consecutive boundaries through the infield to yield 12 runs from the opening six deliveries, establishing a confident start for the home side.
