India secured the T20I series against Afghanistan with a seven-wicket victory in the second match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, Spetember 15.
India were once again clinical with the ball, restricting the Afghan side to 159 for 8, before chasing it down with 31 balls to spare. With this victory Shreyas Iyer claimed his first-ever series victory on home soil as the Indian captain.
AFG vs IND: Talking Points
1. Sanju ‘Chettan’ roars back into form
With questions surrounding his place in the side looming over this clash, Sanju Samson hit back at his critics with a stellar 22-ball 57, setting the tone for India at the top of the order. The wicketkeeper-batter hit seven fours and four sixes in his knock, striking at 259.09, while reaching his fifty off just 20 balls, his personal fastest in T20Is. Samson has time and again shown his ability when the pressure is on, and tonight’s knock was one such example.
2. Nitish Kumar Reddy establishes case with fine bowling performance
Coming off an under-par outing in the first match, Nitish Kumar Reddy responded with figures of 3 for 24, taking the key wickets of Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, and Rashid Khan. The seam-bowler will hope this performance helps him build a case to establish himself as the all-rounder option for the long-term.
AFG vs IND: Who Said What?
Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan Captain:
“We struggled around again. We didn’t get what we wanted. We didn’t play well in the powerplay and they put pressure on us, I am giving credit to their bowlers. We thought about the things on how to improve 150-160, we should go with the right intent to score 200 and 200+, and we didn’t apply that. We will think about it and improve on it.“
Shreyas Iyer, India Captain:
“Looking at the last match performance, we were demanding a comprehensive win and today was great. It was a tough pill to swallow at the start, but you keep going and not think about the past. We want all of them to get used to the conditions and it will be a good opportunity to give them a chance.”
Nitish Kumara Reddy, Player of the Match:
“It’s good right now. I am feeling on a great level. We have done some great work at the CoE and the body looks fit. It feels great. I always wanted to become the greatest all-rounder. For that, I wanted that extra pace which I am getting now. You will have the pros and cons for that as well. You have to agree. I am working on it so that I don’t get frequently injured. Well, you got to trust your ability during the comeback. I was just believing in myself. It’s a funny game and anything can happen any moment.”
