Sanju Samson smashed 57 from 22 balls as India chased 160 with ease to defeat Afghanistan by seven wickets and take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
India secured the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan with a dominant seven-wicket victory in the second match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. After restricting Afghanistan to 159 for eight, India raced to 163 for three in only 14.5 overs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.
The Indian bowling attack made an immediate impact. Jasprit Bumrah opened the match with a maiden over before Arshdeep Singh dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz without scoring. Afghanistan struggled to establish a strong foundation as India continued taking wickets at regular intervals.
Ibrahim Zadran provided Afghanistan with some resistance, scoring 37, while Darwish Rasooli contributed 26. However, Afghanistan reached only 159 for eight from their 20 overs, leaving India needing 160 for victory.
India’s response was led by Sanju Samson, who produced one of the most aggressive innings of the match. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed 57 from only 22 deliveries and reached his half-century in just 20 balls. His innings included four sixes and provided India with tremendous momentum during the Powerplay.
Samson and Abhishek Sharma put together an explosive opening partnership. The pair added 88 runs in only 6.2 overs, with India reaching 82 without loss at the end of the Powerplay. Abhishek contributed 39 from 19 balls before being dismissed.
After Samson departed, India continued the chase without significant difficulty. Ishan Kishan then helped complete the target, with India reaching 163 for three in 14.5 overs. The seven-wicket victory gave India a 2-0 lead and secured the series with one match still remaining.
For Samson, the performance was particularly important following a difficult run of scores. The ICC noted that he had scored 5, 0, 1, 27 and 10 in his previous five outings before responding with the explosive half-century in Delhi.
The final T20I will provide both teams with another opportunity to assess their combinations. India have already secured the series, while Afghanistan will be looking to finish the contest with a strong performance and prevent a clean sweep.
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