Courtesy: Dawn News/AFP
Sanju Samson struck 57 off 22 balls to lead India to a dominant seven-wicket, series-clinching win over Afghanistan in the second T20 International on Tuesday.
India chased down a victory target of 160 with 5.1 overs to spare to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Abhishek Sharma, who hit 39 off 19 balls, and fellow opener Samson put on 88 runs in just 6.2 overs.
Abhishek started in trademark fashion as he raced out of the blocks.
Samson quickly took over as he struck four boundaries in one Azmatullah Omarzai over before hitting two sixes and two fours in a Mohammad Nabi over which leaked 27 runs.
“It’s the nature of the format, the nature of how India have been playing their cricket,” Samson said. “We are reigning T20 world champions.”
Rashid Khan cut short Abhishek’s knock a ball after being hit for a six by the swashbuckling left-hander, who made 82 in India’s opening win, also by seven wickets.
Samson reached his fifty in 20 balls but departed two balls later off Nabi, finishing with seven fours and four sixes.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer fell for just 11, but Ishan Kishan, who made 38 not out, and Tilak Varma (15 not out) guided the team home in an unbeaten stand of 40.
India’s bowlers earlier kept Afghanistan down to 159-8, with seam bowler Nitish Kumar Reddy returning figures of 3-24 from three overs.
Jasprit Bumrah started with a maiden, and fellow quick Arshdeep Singh reaped the rewards as he then sent back the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz, caught behind for a duck.
Afghan skipper Ibrahim Zadran laboured to a 33-ball 37 in a 51-run partnership with Sediqullah Atal, who struggled to 12 off 15.
Zadran holed out off all-rounder Reddy to deep mid-wicket, before Ravi Bishnoi dismissed Atal and Gulbadin Naib fell to Reddy.
Afghanistan managed some lower-order resistance as the 41-year-old Nabi hit 20 and Rashid made a 16-ball 28.
Reddy dismissed Rashid in the final over with a slower ball as Afghanistan, who made 156-8 in the opening game, once again finished on a below-par total.
“We thought about the things on how to improve from 150-160; we should go with the right intent to score 200 and 200 plus, and we didn’t apply that,” said Zadran. “We will think about it and improve on it.”
The third match is on Thursday at the same venue.