India vs Afghanistan, 1st T20I: IND beat AFG by 7-wickets and take 1-0 lead in New Delhi

Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers in the first innings with 3/19. Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel chipped in with one wicket each. Follow all the updates below from the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday

Abhishek Sharma’s 32-ball 82 has helped India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets. They have chased down the target of 157 runs from just 13.4 overs. Earlier, Arshdeep Singh’s three wickets restricted Afghanistan to 156/8 from 20 overs after Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first against Ibrahim Zadran’s Afghanistan in the first of the three-match T20I series starting on Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Although the series will be held in India, Afghanistan will be the official host of the bilateral event

India vs Afghanistan live streaming details: Watch here

India has been quite dominant against Afghanistan in all formats of cricket in the past, and the conditions in Delhi were conducive to Indian batting, with short boundaries and a flat wicket.

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The 2nd T20I is at the same venue on Tuesday.

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Live Updates
Sep 13, 2026 10:32 PM IST
IND vs AFG Live Cricket Score: IND beat AFG by 7-wickets and take 1-0 lead in New Delhi

Well, that ended very quickly in the end. Although Ishan Kishan also fell after that partnership with Abhishek Sharma, it was blistering batting through the middle overs which did the job for the Indians. Afghanistan, on the other hand, have plenty of work to do in both the bowling and batting departments. That's it from us folks; do join for the second T20I on Tuesday.

Sep 13, 2026 10:22 PM IST
IND vs AFG Live Cricket Score: India 150/2 (12.1 overs) vs Afghanistan

Against the run of play India lost the wicket of Abhishek Sharma who tried to hit a full-toss from Mohammad Nabi tried to hit it on the leg side. He got the height but not the distance, and the fielder at the boundary, Rashid Khan, took a lovely catch. But it was too late for Afghanistan, as India were almost there to take a 1-0 lead.

Sep 13, 2026 10:12 PM IST
IND vs AFG Live Cricket Score: India 130/1 (10 overs) vs Afghanistan

India has scored 130 runs in the first 10 overs. Well, this is something which Afghanistan needs to be wary of in the remaining two T20Is as well. Once they let Abhishek Sharma get away, he will hurt the opposition and do it at a very quick rate, like he did today. They will need to come up with a strategy to contain him.

Sep 13, 2026 10:01 PM IST
IND vs AFG Live Cricket Score: India 96/1 (7.4 overs) vs Afghanistan

Both the wrist spinners are in operation for Afghanistan here. This is supposed to be the pivotal point in this game; however, the start India has got in this chase, thanks to Abhishek Sharma, has handicapped both Rashid and Noor in the way they can go about their business. While concentrating on picking wickets, they also have to worry about the runs they have in the bag.

Sep 13, 2026 09:52 PM IST
IND vs AFG Live Cricket Score: India 78/1 (5.5 overs) vs Afghanistan

Well, both Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma have already put on a 50-run stand. Fazalhaq Farooqi has been smashed all around the park by the left-handers. This is what Afghanistan had to do in their first innings: make the most of the first six overs. Instead, they kept losing wickets, some through their own errors and some through Indian brilliance. This is the best time to bat in a T20 at this venue.

Sep 13, 2026 09:42 PM IST
IND vs AFG Live Cricket Score: India 38/1 (3.4 overs) vs Afghanistan

Sanju Samson has fallen for a low score here. He will be disappointed; it was not a daunting total; it was a smallish score, which he could have taken a bit of time and then gone on to accelerate; however, he thought to approach it differently. The dismissal is somewhat of a regularity in this format; he pulled one against Omarzai and ended up getting caught at square leg.

Sep 13, 2026 09:31 PM IST
IND vs AFG Live Cricket Score: India 13/0 (1.1 overs) vs Afghanistan

We are back for the second innings. Fazalhaq Farooqi has taken the new ball for Afghanistan as expected, but there is not much swing and seam movement on the pitch for the seamers, and both Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma could hit the ball through the line. They have brought Mujeeb into the attack. Very good bowling change this.

Sep 13, 2026 09:26 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: Teams

Afghanistan (Playing XI): Ibrahim Zadran(c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

Sep 13, 2026 09:15 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 156/8 (20 overs) vs IND in New Delhi

Well, 21 runs did come off the final over from Shivam Dube, and Afghanistan have got to 156, which is a good total. If there is no dew, the tendency here in Delhi is for wickets to slow down, and it will be an interesting chase if Afghan spinners can get on a roll. From the bowling persepctive every one did well, and it is the fifth bowler who was expensive; and from the batting perspective for Afghanistan, Omarzai has been the star.

Sep 13, 2026 09:06 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 134/8 (18.5 overs) vs IND

Afghanistan has lost two more wickets since our last update here. First, it was Rashid Khan who was suffocated by the Indian bowlers, and he ended up giving the catch to long-on fielder Axar Patel. Noor Ahmad walked into the middle and, in his attempt to take a quick single, got himself run out thanks to brilliant fielding from Iyer inside the ring.

Sep 13, 2026 08:57 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 127/6 (17.2 overs) vs IND

Arshdeep Singh has broken the partnership here. It was a yorker from him which was well executed; also, Nabi's bat got stuck in the pitch, and before he could get out of the tangle, the ball hit his pads and went into the stumps. Massive breakthrough, as the partnership was threatening to take Afghanistan to around 160, which would be a competitive total on this one.

Sep 13, 2026 08:46 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 110/5 (15.1 overs) vs IND

Omarzai and Nabi have put on a very good partnership here. They have initially absorbed a bit of pressure and now are putting it back on the Indian bowlers. The thing which is working in their favour is that Iyer has exhausted a major chunk of his main bowlers in the first 10 and now has to use his all-rounders. Nitish, who is coming on the back of an injury, is looking a little rusty.

Sep 13, 2026 08:36 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 79/5 (12.5 overs) vs IND

Well, that is pretty ordinary stuff from Varun Chakaravarthy. He has bowled very well, but he has slipped in two no-balls in this over. Yes, Afghanistan is in a bad situation in this game; on another day, in a different game, these two no-balls and free hits might just change the course of the game. Indian spinners have to be very wary of bowling these no-balls.

Sep 13, 2026 08:27 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 62/5 (11.1 overs) vs IND

Well, we are halfway done with this first innings, and players have had a drinks break. Afghanistan have been rattled a bit here with the bat in hand. Before they could even get themselves into a position where they could assess a score, they kept losing those wickets right from the initial overs. Omarzai and Nabi are experienced, but it is a very tall mountain for them to get a good total from here on.

Sep 13, 2026 08:18 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 51/5 (9.3 overs) vs IND

Varun Chakarvarthy has picked up the wicket of Darwish Rasooli. Another batter has gone down for Afghanistan, and now they have lost half their side. This is an issue for sides who have not played Chakarvarthy before. In addition to staying with the stumps, he also brings in subtle variations which are hard to pick, and Darwish perished.

Sep 13, 2026 08:07 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 42/4 (6.3 overs) vs IND

Well, that is not what was in the plan for Afghanistan first that run out, and then later it was a bit of soft dismissal from Atal as he tried to squeeze a ball through fine-leg when he ended up giving a simple catch to third man inside the ring, and then Axar Patel's delivery to Gulabdin, who tried to hit the ball on the leg-side, got the leading edge to the point.

Sep 13, 2026 07:58 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 38/2 (4.3 overs) vs IND

Well, there is a runout here of Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran. They took the single easily, but Zadran, for a split moment, wanted that second. Ishan Kishan on the boundary came in with so much intent and threw the ball back pretty quickly, and Axar Patel did the rest at the non-striker's end, as Zadran was stuck halfway on the pitch after being denied a second by Atal.

Sep 13, 2026 07:52 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 29/1 (3.1 overs) vs IND

Sediq Atal is a very talented player for Afghanistan. He has shown his skills in age-group cricket, but somehow it did not seem to translate to the bigger stages as it should have. However, the six he scored against Bumrah, when he hit him through cow corner for a six, is indicative of the immense talent he possesses. He will enjoy these conditions here in Delhi.

Sep 13, 2026 07:43 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: AFG 7/1 (1.1 overs) vs IND

Well, we are done with the opening, and it has looked like an over from a bowler who has looked like he has been out of cricket for a while. He was a bit wavering, with a few wides and bowled a jaffer of a delivery to Gurbaz, like Bumrah. The ball pitched around the off-stump and kept rising, and Gurbaz poked it straight to slip, where Abhishek Sharma took a good low catch.

Sep 13, 2026 07:33 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score: Let's go!

The national anthems are just done here; the ground is buzzing, and Delhi is also a place where Afghanistan get quite a bit of support. Shreyas Iyer did not have a good start to his captaincy tenure, but he managed a good series against Zimbabwe, and this will be another opportunity to imprint his methods as captain even more.

Sep 13, 2026 07:31 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Pitch report by Nikhil Chopra and Sanjay Manjrekar

If anything, in this fantastic sporting track, if anything, teams chasing, they get a slight bit of advantage if there's a hint of dew. This particular surface, it's hard. You see a little bit of grass. It just gets the ball onto the bat a lot, lot easier and quicker in the second sort of stage. It's one of those true sporting tracks. Yeah, I see the pitch shining a little bit, but maybe it's my jacket. No, it's you. It's always going to be shining. But I tell you what, I've seen Kotla over the years. You play here, one thing that I see here is the groundsmen have made an effort to make it nice and hard. So it's not going to be those slow, low bounce pitches. That is my assessment. So the team bowling first, the idea is to just put runs on the board and hopefully, you know, make life difficult. Yeah, but with the spinners, on this particular surface, it's the pace and the trajectory, of course. If you put enough revs on the ball, you'll get purchase. This is one of those surfaces where Jasprit Bumrah, you know, the effort ball, he'll get it to carry through. The slower balls will come in effect, but the spinners most definitely here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, you bowl slow through the air, put in enough revs and the right sort of length, you will get purchase. And India will bowl first. So what can we expect? How much do you think Afghanistan will get on a pitch like this? Well, I guess the 36 deliveries with the two openers, the skipper as well as Gurbaz, if they get off to a flyer, you should be looking to get about 170, 180. You get that, we got a spectacle on hand. Yeah, let's not forget this is an away game for India at the Feroz Shah Kotla against Afghanistan.

Sep 13, 2026 07:23 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Ibrahim Zadran at toss

We would have bowled first. Unfortunately, we lost the toss and we will think about batting. We will try to put a good total on the board. [On the significance of hosting India and playing at an iconic venue] Yeah, it's a great feeling for us. It is a pleasure to host India, here in India for the first time. We are trying to enjoy ourselves, trying to have a good series against them. [On expecting fan support during the series] We have got lots of support from the fans in the past as well, and just requesting them to come support, both teams. I hope they don't forget us, but hopefully they come and support their own player, their own team, and give their energy to the players. [On team selection] Naveen(-ul-Haq) is not playing, Noor Ahmad, and Abdullah (Ahmadzai) and Naveen-ul-Haq, he's not match ready for today. Yeah, we will think about him for the second and third game.

Sep 13, 2026 07:18 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: AFG playing XI

Ibrahim Zadran(c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Sep 13, 2026 07:15 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: What did Shreyas Iyer say at toss

We’re going to bowl first, which is what generally happens in T20 cricket. I mean, when you have played in Delhi, you know what the pitch has got to offer and we’ve played quite a bit of matches over here. So based on that and looking at the conditions, that’s really both. [On his first ten matches as India captain]It's been a roller coaster ride, but if you see the previous series which we played against Zimbabwe, there were a lot of positives and the boys were optimistic in their approach. So, that's the attitude we've got to carry in this series as well. [On having Jasprit Bumrah available in the squad] Yes, certainly. I think it's a luxury to have him in the squad because he's immensely experienced and he carries a lot of great attitude when it comes to winning matches. So, we know he's a match winner and we know what he's got to offer. [On managing team combinations and selecting players for the match] That is more difficult, I feel, but I would say if Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi) is not playing, then Washington (Sundar) is not playing and there are two more which you'll get to know.

Sep 13, 2026 07:08 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: IND playing XI

Sep 13, 2026 07:05 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Toss

Shreyas Iyer wins toss and opts to bowl first for IND vs AFG in New Delhi

Sep 13, 2026 06:57 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Sadagoppan Ramesh on BCCI

"Keep the parameters the same for everyone is what I am saying. In fact, the more established and proven cricketers are clearly the ones under the most pressure. Like Bumrah, even [Mohammad] Shami was asked to prove his fitness. Yet, how Harshit Rana was picked straightaway from injury has been given no explanation, and the BCCI has never spoken about it."

Sep 13, 2026 06:55 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Sadagoppan Ramesh on Jasprit Bumrah

"It's being reported that because Bumrah hadn't played a red-ball game since November last year, he must play the India A games against New Zealand for selection. It's a fair rationale and the right decision. With him, it is a knee injury. Yet, you selected Harshit Rana straight from knee surgery into the squad. It's so clear that some rules are excused for some at different times," Ramesh said on his YouTube channel.

Sep 13, 2026 06:37 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Wasim Jaffer on Sanju Samson

"I feel Samson can become captain. The CSK management has to take that call. I don't think it will be a bad call even if they remove Gaikwad from captaincy. IPL is a result-oriented league, and sometimes emotions have to be put aside."

Sep 13, 2026 06:35 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Wasim Jaffer on CSK captaincy

"It will be a tough call. Gaikwad's batting form was not great. His captaincy was not that bad. There were issues with injuries and the availability of many players. His batting form was a concern. I think he needs to focus more on that than captaincy. Given how the T20 game is moving, he is currently not playing as per that template," he said.

Sep 13, 2026 06:32 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Wasim Jaffer on India A captaincy

"As far as I know, Gaikwad is slightly senior. He has been playing for India A for a while. But it does make sense that Rajat Patidar also deserves captaincy. Even Ishan Kishan. He has been leading well. But you can hand it to anyone out of these three. I don't think it is that big a matter. Yes, Patidar and Kishan have better credentials, but Gaikwad is slightly ahead in terms of seniority. I don't think the players will mind," he said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Sep 13, 2026 06:09 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Rahane on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's cricket skills

"If we talk about cricket skills, we saw how well he batted in the IPL and scored consistently. He scored for India A and also made runs for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. He has shown consistency. The only thing for him will be to stay mentally balanced and stable so that he can continue operating the way he does. Yes, he will have to make some tweaks in his game, but there is time for that."

Sep 13, 2026 06:00 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Rahane on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

"I think he should just play his game right now. He should back the game that led him to come into the Indian team. It is a very early stage for him in his career and in international cricket. As of now, there is no need for him to think a lot, and he should be set free. His game will eventually change after two or three years, as much as he keeps playing. It will be important for him to maintain balance. Apart from cricket skills, it is important to stay balanced off the field. That will be a challenge for him," he said.

Sep 13, 2026 05:50 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Rahane on Sanju Samson

"I am happy to see Sanju Samson back in the team. He was the 'Man of the Series' in the World Cup. It has been up and down, and things were happening to him that were not in his control. But he is a match-winner, and his return strengthens the team."

Sep 13, 2026 05:40 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Ajinkya Rahane on Sanju Samson

"I feel the top three should be the same that played in the World Cup. Samson has done well, but he got dropped after two or three bad innings. I want him to get another chance. Abhishek and Ishan also did well for us. Vaibhav will get his opportunities, and his time will come. But for now, I feel the top three should be Samson, Abhishek, and Ishan, who were our contributors in the World Cup," he said in a video on his Hindi YouTube channel.

Sep 13, 2026 05:33 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Dinesh Kartik on Indian team

“I want this Indian T20 team to understand what their identity is. New captain, new vice-captain. They haven't got the result in Ireland or in England. They were absolutely outplayed there. What does it take? What is their plan? What is the bowling looking like? Who are the players you are going to trust? A lot of this is not just about winning the series; it's about understanding what they need to take out from this series against Afghanistan,” he said.

Sep 13, 2026 05:20 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Dinesh Karthik on Sanju Samson

“What is the batting order going to look like? Where does Vaibhav Suryavanshi stand, and what about Sanju Samson? How are you going to fit him in? He was such an important player in the World Cup and was dropped midway through that England series. Where does he stand?” Karthik said on Instagram.

Sep 13, 2026 05:10 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: AFG predicted XI

Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (c), Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq.

Sep 13, 2026 04:59 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: IND predicted XI

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan/Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

Sep 13, 2026 04:49 PM IST
India vs Afghanistan Live Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Hola!

Hello and welcome to our live blog of India taking on Afghanistan in the first T20I from New Delhi. Well, given the talent of Afghanistan, one can never write off what they can bring to the table, especially in this format of the game. However, India will start as firm favourites to win the series. Do stay with us to get all the live updates.

Sooryavanshi’s new-ball problem meets an Afghan attack built to exploit it

Four months after striking a 21-ball 46 against top international pacers like Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi faced a reality check at the same venue. During a national team training session ahead of the T20I series against Afghanistan, elite Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Yash Thakur repeatedly beat his bat in the nets. (Read more from Shuvaditya Bose)

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