India crushed Afghanistan by 7 wickets in the first T20I at Arun Jaitley Stadium. The match finished in just 13.4 overs. Abhishek Sharma smashed 82 off 32 balls. He made the chase look like a net session.
I sat through the whole game. Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat. Bad call. Their top order fell apart. Azmatullah Omarzai hung around with 64 not out. But 156 was never going to worry India.
Let me walk you through what happened. The scorecard. The key moments. What comes next. And where you can catch the IND vs AFG live streaming for the remaining games.
First T20I Scorecard: The Full Picture
Afghanistan Innings: 156/8 (20 overs)
Jasprit Bumrah struck with the second ball of the match. Rahmanullah Gurbaz gone for a duck. Varun Chakravarthy got Darwish Rasooli in the powerplay. Afghanistan slumped to 43/5 inside seven overs.
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Azmatullah Omarzai kept fighting. He made 64 not out from 44 balls. Mohammad Nabi helped with 33. They put on 83 runs for the sixth wicket. That partnership saved Afghanistan from total embarrassment.
Arshdeep Singh was the best bowler on show. He picked up 3 wickets for 19 runs in four overs. Bumrah and Chakravarthy got one each.
Top performers:
India Innings: 157/3 (13.4 overs)
India's chase was brutal. Abhishek Sharma went after the bowling from ball one. Seven sixes. Seven fours. His 82 came off just 32 deliveries.
Ishan Kishan played the anchor role perfectly. He made 42 off 33 balls. The pair added 121 runs for the second wicket. That stand ended any doubt about the result.
Mohammad Nabi grabbed two wickets for Afghanistan. But the target was way too small. India got home with 38 balls to spare.
Top performers:
Player of the Match: Abhishek Sharma
Why Afghanistan Collapsed So Badly?
Three things went wrong.
First, the top order failed. Gurbaz's early dismissal hurt. Ibrahim Zadran's run-out made it worse. Captain Zadran called it "the turning point" after the match. He was right.
Second, the spinners didn't deliver. Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Noor Ahmad combined for just two wickets. They gave away 43 runs from eight overs. That's not enough pressure against India's batting lineup.
Third, the fielding was sloppy. Coach Richard Pybus didn't hold back. He said the team made "fundamental mistakes" and needed to be "a lot more precise in our fundamentals."
Afghanistan has the talent. They've beaten top teams before. But against India, they keep making the same errors.
Head-to-Head Record: India's Perfect Run
India has never lost a T20I to Afghanistan. Not once.
| Statistic |
India |
Afghanistan |
| Matches |
9 |
9 |
| Wins |
7 |
0 |
| Ties |
1 |
1 |
| No Results |
1 |
1 |
The tie happened in 2024 at Bengaluru. Both teams scored 212. India won the super over.
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Afghanistan's best chance came in that match. They pushed India to the limit. But they still couldn't get over the line.
Arshdeep Singh loves playing Afghanistan. He has 8 wickets in 5 matches against them. His economy rate sits at 7.05.
Remaining Matches: Schedule and Streaming
All matches take place at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
| Match |
Date |
Time (IST) |
| 2nd T20I |
September 15, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
| 3rd T20I |
September 17, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Where to Watch IND vs AFG Live Streaming?
India: Sony Sports Network has TV rights. DD Sports offers free telecast. FanCode streams online.
Afghanistan: Ariana TV and My e& App show the matches.
Other regions: Cricbuzz covers UAE. JioHotstar handles the UK.
I've used FanCode before. The stream quality is decent. The app works well on mobile. Just make sure your internet connection is stable.
Key Players for the Remaining Matches
For India
Abhishek Sharma is in frightening form. His 82 off 32 balls showed his range. When he's aggressive from the start, bowlers struggle.
Arshdeep Singh owns this matchup. His 8 wickets against Afghanistan prove it. His left-arm angle troubles their right-handed batters.
Jasprit Bumrah returned from injury in the first match. His second-ball wicket of Gurbaz set the tone. A fit Bumrah changes everything.
For Afghanistan
Azmatullah Omarzai was the lone bright spot. His 64 not out showed composure. He bats well under pressure.
Rashid Khan had a quiet first match. That won't last. He's too good to stay wicketless for long. India's batters know this.
Mohammad Nabi remains the team's heartbeat. At his age, he still delivers. His 33 runs and two wickets in the first T20I proved his value.
What Afghanistan Must Fix?
Afghanistan can't win with the same approach. They need changes.
Better powerplay batting: Losing three wickets in the first six overs kills momentum. Gurbaz and Zadran must provide a platform.
More spin penetration: Rashid and Nabi need wickets in the middle overs. India's batters score too freely against spin.
Sharper fielding: Run-outs and dropped catches cost runs. Clean fielding keeps pressure on batters.
Coach Pybus knows this. He said the team needs to "get a lot better quickly." The second T20I gives them a chance to respond.
Series Context: Asian Games Preparation
Both teams use this series as preparation. The Asian Games begin on September 20. India and Afghanistan both compete there.
For India, these matches build rhythm. For Afghanistan, they test combinations against elite opposition.
The series result matters. But the bigger picture is Asian Games success.
My Prediction for the Remaining Matches
India should win the series. Their record is perfect. Their form is strong. Their squad is deeper. But Afghanistan won't go down easily. They have pride. They have talent. Rashid Khan will want revenge after a quiet first match.
I expect the second T20I to be closer. Afghanistan will fight harder. The pitch might offer more spin. India's batters might face tougher challenges.
Still, India remains the favorite. Their batting firepower is too much. Their bowling attack is too complete.
Afghanistan needs a miracle to win. But in T20 cricket, miracles happen.
Final Thoughts
The Afghanistan national cricket team vs India national cricket team series continues tomorrow. India leads 1-0. The cricket score from the first match showed total dominance.
Afghanistan must win both remaining games to take the series. That's a tall order. Their spinners need to step up. Their batters need to handle India's pace.
For fans wanting IND vs AFG live streaming, FanCode and Sony Sports Network have you covered in India.
India looks unstoppable right now. But Afghanistan has surprised people before. The next two matches will show whether they can finally beat their toughest opponent.
