India vs Afghanistan, 1st T20l : India beat Afghanistan by 6 wickets

India vs Afghanistan – India secured a six-wicket victory against Afghanistan in the first T20, claiming a 1-0 lead india vs afg in the three-match series held in Mohali on Thursday.

India successfully limited Afghanistan to a score of 158 for five and later chased down the target in 17.3 overs to secure the victory.

In india vs afg, Shivam Dube played a key role, scoring an unbeaten 60 off 40 balls, guiding India to victory. Jitesh Sharma contributed 31, Tilak Verma scored 26, and Shubman Gill added 23 valuable runs. In the bowling department, Axar Patel was the standout performer for India, taking 2 wickets for 23 runs, while Mukesh Kumar claimed 2 wickets for 33 runs.

For Afghanistan, Mohammad Nabi emerged as the top-scorer, playing a brisk innings of 42 runs off 27 balls to bolster their total.

Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, reflected on the challenging playing conditions due to the cold weather, especially with the ball hitting his fingers. Despite the difficulties, he highlighted the positive aspects of the match, particularly praising the performance of the spinners.

Sharma expressed frustration over his own dismissal but commended the contributions of other players like Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Tilak Verma, and Rinku Singh. Looking ahead to the next game, Sharma mentioned the intention to experiment with different strategies while maintaining the focus on winning.

Ibrahim Zadran, the captain of Afghanistan, acknowledged that his team fell short by 30-40 runs and pointed out that losing wickets during the powerplay affected their batting performance. He credited the Indian bowlers for their efforts and acknowledged the challenges posed by dew in the second innings.

Zadran highlighted the need to improve fielding, describing it as “lazy” during the match. He expressed confidence in addressing batting issues and emphasized that the team would focus on areas that need improvement.

Rinku Singh expressed satisfaction with his role of batting at number 6 and finishing games for the team. Despite the challenging cold conditions during the match, he enjoyed his performance.

Rinku Singh shared that he talks to himself to stay focused on reacting to the ball, emphasizing the advice he received from MS Dhoni to keep calm and react according to the ball. His approach involves minimal thinking while batting, allowing him to react instinctively.

Shivam Dube expressed his enjoyment despite the cold weather and his satisfaction with playing on the ground after a long time. Batting at No. 4, he felt a bit of pressure initially but focused on playing his style of cricket.

Shivam Dube emphasized that he doesn’t think too much after settling in and relies on his ability to hit big sixes in T20s. Rohit Sharma praised Dube’s performance and mentioned plans for improvement in upcoming games. Regarding his bowling, Dube mentioned getting the opportunity and executing his plans effectively.

Shivam Dube’s unbeaten 60-run knock led India to a comfortable 6-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the series opener in Mohali. Dube sealed the win with 15 balls to spare, showcasing a strong performance in the 159-run chase.

Earlier contributions from Jitesh Sharma (31), Tilak Varma (26), and Shubman Gill (23) complemented the bowlers’ efforts, restricting Afghanistan to a par total. With this victory, Rohit Sharma made history as the oldest captain to win a T20I game, adding to the significance of India’s 1-0 lead in the series.