New Delhi: Abhishek Sharma smashed 82 off just 32 balls as India defeated hosts Afghanistan by seven wickets in the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Opener Sanju Samson, picked ahead of teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, failed to make an impact and was dismissed for 10 by Azmatullah Omarzai in the third over.
Sharma then joined hands with Ishan Kishan to put India firmly in control. The duo added 121 runs, taking the game away from Afghanistan. Kishan scored 42 before departing, but India remained on course for a comfortable victory.
Captain Shreyas Iyer, unbeaten on 8, and Tilak Varma, unbeaten on 3, saw the visitors home with 38 balls to spare.
Earlier, Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first. Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah returned to the T20I side after last featuring in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, and he made an immediate impact. Bumrah struck with the second ball of the innings to provide India with an early breakthrough. Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel then joined the attack, picking up wickets in the powerplay as Afghanistan slipped to 41/4. Varun Chakravarthy, returning from an injury setback, struck in his very first over after the powerplay, further tightening India's grip on the innings.
However, Mohammed Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai steadied Afghanistan's innings with a crucial partnership. The pair added valuable runs and took Afghanistan past the 100-run mark in the 15th over, giving the hosts a chance to post a competitive total.
Arshdeep finally broke the partnership in the 17th over by dismissing Nabi for 33. The left-arm pacer struck again in the 19th over to finish with another important wicket. Shivam Dube was handed the ball for the final over, but the all-rounder conceded 21 runs as Afghanistan finished on 156/8.
Omarzai was Afghanistan's standout performer. The all-rounder, who was dropped by Ishan Kishan when he was on 39, remained unbeaten on 64 off 44 balls to give the hosts a respectable total. India, however, made light work of the chase, with Sharma's explosive knock setting up a comfortable seven-wicket victory.
The second T20I will be played on September 15 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
