Abhishek Sharma's 30-Ball Ton Sparks India's Dominance Over Afghanistan
On a warm Delhi evening at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, India didn’t just complete a 3-0 sweep over Afghanistan. They detonated one.
A 127-run hammering in the third T20I sealed the series in emphatic style, powered by a scarcely believable hundred from Abhishek Sharma and a ruthless, all‑angles bowling performance that left Afghanistan bowled out for 94 in 14.1 overs, chasing 222.
A Powerplay Tornado
Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran won the toss, chose to bowl, and spent the next hour watching his plans shredded.
Abhishek walked out with Sanju Samson and turned the Powerplay into a personal highlight reel. By the time the sixth over ended, India were 100 without loss. Abhishek had scorched a 16-ball fifty, striking at 345.45, peppering the stands with 8 fours and 7 sixes. Every length, every line, every adjustment from Afghanistan’s bowlers met the same fate.
Zadran turned to experience. Mohammad Nabi, the veteran off-spinner, came on as the supposed antidote. Instead, he became a statistic. Abhishek launched into him for 29 in the over, dismantling any early grip Afghanistan hoped to find.
The tone of the night was set. India weren’t just ahead; they were out of sight.
A 30-Ball Hundred and a Stadium in Shock
The carnage didn’t stop at the Powerplay. Abhishek kept swinging, but this wasn’t reckless hitting. It was calculated brutality. Fielders were moved; gaps were found anyway. Spinners were introduced; they disappeared over the ropes.
He surged to a 30-ball hundred, a blistering landmark packed with 9 fours and 10 sixes. The Delhi crowd barely had time to catch its breath between the roars. Afghanistan’s bowlers barely had time to turn at the top of their mark before the ball was flying past them again.
Rashid Khan, the one man in blue and red who could still command respect on a night like this, finally cut short the madness. On 108, Abhishek edged to Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the 10th over, the stadium rising as much in appreciation as in shock at what it had just witnessed.
India were 155 for 2 after 12 overs. The scoreboard looked like a misprint.
Samson Steadies, Afghanistan Claw Back
With Abhishek gone and Tilak Varma run out by a sharp Rashid intervention for 2, India needed composure to turn the onslaught into a complete innings rather than a chaotic sprint.
Samson provided it.
Coming into this game with his place under scrutiny, the wicketkeeper-batter quietly stitched together a controlled, mature hand. While wickets flickered at the other end, he moved to 44* off 31 by the 12-over mark, picking his moments, rotating strike, and letting the chaos revolve around him. Captain Shreyas Iyer joined him as India eyed something north of 230.
Afghanistan, though, finally found a grip on the contest in the middle overs. Azmatullah Omarzai struck twice at crucial junctures, removing Samson for 50 and then Shivam Dube for 14 within 15 deliveries. Across a four-over stretch, India managed just 36 runs, their runaway run rate dragged back under 12 an over.
At 191 for 4 after 16 overs, a 240-plus total still looked on. The death overs, however, belonged to Afghanistan.
Abdullah Ahmadzai led a disciplined late surge. He nailed his wide yorkers, denied the big shots, and removed Nitish Kumar Reddy while conceding only 38 from his full spell. India, restricted to just two boundaries in the final four overs, closed on 221 for 7.
A daunting target, yes. But not the 240–250 monster that had loomed when Abhishek was in full flight.
Axar and Bumrah Rip Out the Top
Any flicker of Afghan hope needed a flying start. It never arrived.
Axar Patel went straight for the stumps and struck early, bowling Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 15 and then having Sediqullah Atal caught by Abhishek Sharma in the same over. The chase was wobbling; Jasprit Bumrah made sure it toppled.
In the fifth over, Bumrah produced the kind of ball that has broken many an innings. Darwish Rasooli lasted one delivery, his stumps rattled by a precise, full-speed missile. A golden duck, and Afghanistan’s top order was gasping for air.
Ibrahim Zadran tried to fight the tide. His 25 off 16 had intent and timing, a brief reminder of the threat he can pose. But Yash Thakur snuffed that out early in the sixth over, Ishan Kishan holding the catch to leave Afghanistan 47 for 4 after the Powerplay.
The scoreboard read 51 for 4 after six. The game, in truth, was already drifting away.
Bishnoi, Axar Squeeze; Nitish Reddy Finishes the Job
Noor ul Rahman and Azmatullah Omarzai attempted to stall the collapse, adding 23 runs and at least forcing India to work for the next breakthrough. Ravi Bishnoi ended that resistance in the ninth over, Noor falling for 11, caught by Nitish Kumar Reddy.
From there, India’s spinners took control. Axar and Bishnoi bowled in tandem, strangling the scoring, conceding just 31 runs in a six-over block. Boundaries dried up. So did belief.
Afghanistan reached 81 for 5 after 11 overs. They wouldn’t get much further.
Brought back in the 12th, Nitish Kumar Reddy tore through what remained of the chase with a brutal, match-ending over. His first ball uprooted Mohammad Nabi for 8. Two deliveries later, he removed top-scorer Azmatullah Omarzai for 17. Before the over was done, Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s stumps lay scattered as well.
Three wickets, one run. Afghanistan had crashed from 81 for 5 to 82 for 8 in five balls. The contest, already lopsided, now felt almost cruel.
The tail offered little resistance. The innings folded for 94 in 14.1 overs, the margin of defeat – 127 runs – underlining just how wide the gulf had been on the night.
A Statement Before Bigger Tests
On paper, this was a dead rubber. India had already sealed the series with a game to spare. In reality, it became a statement performance.
Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball hundred will dominate the headlines, and rightly so. It was one of the most destructive Powerplay and early-overs assaults seen in T20I cricket. Around him, Samson’s measured fifty, Axar’s early strikes, Bumrah’s precision, Bishnoi’s control, and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s explosive over painted a broader picture: a squad flexing its depth and its ruthlessness.
Afghanistan, spirited across the series, simply ran into a storm they couldn’t ride out in Delhi.
For India, with the Asian Games and bigger tournaments looming, nights like this do more than fill a scorecard. They shape selection calls, harden roles, and send a clear message: when this side clicks, it doesn’t just win. It overwhelms.
