NEW DELHI, India, September 17, 2026: For a few extraordinary overs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, 300 stopped looking like one of T20 cricket’s exaggerated possibilities and started looking like a target India might actually reach.
Abhishek Sharma was responsible for that change in perception.
He smashed the fastest T20I century ever recorded by an Indian, reaching three figures from only 30 balls before finishing with 108 from 34. Sanju Samson contributed 50 from 35, India became the first Indian T20I side to score 100 runs in a powerplay, and Afghanistan were staring at a scoreboard moving faster than their field placements could respond.
They did prevent 300. That was about as good as the consolation became.
Story at a glance
India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I: Match Summary
The series had already been secured when India chased 160 in only 14.5 overs in the second T20I. The final match therefore offered Afghanistan an opportunity to salvage something from the tour and India a chance to test whether their increasingly aggressive batting could survive another night of sustained attack.
Abhishek Sharma Makes 300 Feel Possible
Abhishek had already dominated Afghanistan once in this series.
Afghanistan’s Best Phase Came After Abhishek Had Already Done the Damage
The final 10 overs looked almost like a different innings.
Sanju Samson’s Fifty Was Overshadowed but Still Mattered
Scoring 50 in a T20 international and becoming an afterthought requires an unusual match.
India’s Collapse From 142/0 Is the One Batting Warning
The final score should not hide the most obvious imperfection in India’s innings.
India slowed dramatically after Abhishek’s dismissal and finished on 221 for seven, but Afghanistan’s chase collapsed to 94 in only 14.1 overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi took three wickets each, Axar Patel claimed two for nine, and India completed a 127-run victory and a 3-0 series sweep.
The clean sweep completes a striking turnaround from the uncertainty that followed India’s historic defeat to Ireland in Belfast and the damaging England series that followed. Readers can follow the wider picture through The Sports Encounter’s cricket coverage.
India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I: Match Summary
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs Afghanistan, 3rd T20I |
| Date | September 17, 2026 |
| Venue | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi |
| Toss | Afghanistan elected to field |
| India | 221/7 in 20 overs |
| Afghanistan | 94 all out in 14.1 overs |
| Result | India won by 127 runs |
| Series Result | India won 3-0 |
| Top Scorer | Abhishek Sharma, 108 from 34 balls |
| India’s Best Bowlers | Nitish Kumar Reddy 3/25, Ravi Bishnoi 3/26, Axar Patel 2/9 |
The series had already been secured when India chased 160 in only 14.5 overs in the second T20I. The final match therefore offered Afghanistan an opportunity to salvage something from the tour and India a chance to test whether their increasingly aggressive batting could survive another night of sustained attack.
For nearly 10 overs, the answer was emphatic.
Abhishek Sharma Makes 300 Feel Possible
Abhishek had already dominated Afghanistan once in this series.
His 82 from 32 balls powered India’s seven-wicket victory in the opening T20I, and he followed that with 39 from 19 in the second match.
The third game went somewhere else entirely.
Abhishek reached fifty from just 16 deliveries. By the end of the six-over powerplay, India had scored 100 without losing a wicket, the highest powerplay total India have recorded in a T20 international.
Samson was considerably quieter at the other end, but that became an advantage rather than a problem. He gave Abhishek uninterrupted access to the attack while still scoring quickly enough to prevent Afghanistan from concentrating entirely on one batter.
The opening pair eventually added 142 before Rashid Khan dismissed Abhishek from the penultimate delivery of the tenth over.
The Fastest T20I Hundred Ever Scored by an Indian
Abhishek’s hundred arrived in just 30 balls.
According to the ICC’s official record confirmation, only Sahil Chauhan of Estonia and Muhammad Fahad of Turkey have reached a men’s T20I hundred faster.
| Player | Team | Balls to 100 | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sahil Chauhan | Estonia | 27 | Cyprus, 2024 |
| Muhammad Fahad | Turkey | 29 | Bulgaria, 2025 |
| Abhishek Sharma | India | 30 | Afghanistan, 2026 |
Abhishek eventually finished with 108 from 34 balls at a strike rate of 317.64. His innings contained nine fours and 11 sixes.
That means 102 of his 108 runs came in boundaries.
The innings was not simply violent. It altered the scale of what India appeared capable of scoring.
Why 300 Suddenly Entered the Conversation
India were 100 without loss after six overs.
At that stage, even allowing for the natural slowdown that usually follows the powerplay, something approaching 300 no longer felt ridiculous.
When Abhishek was dismissed at 142 after 9.5 overs, India were still effectively operating at a 14-run-per-over pace.
Afghanistan were not trying to bring India back toward a normal T20 total. They were trying to stop a historic one.
Rashid Khan Removed the One Batter Who Could Keep the Pace Alive
Rashid conceded 43 from his four overs, figures that do not immediately look like control.
His wicket mattered more than the economy rate.
Abhishek was caught behind for 108, and the dismissal immediately changed what Afghanistan were defending against. The ball after his exit took India into the halfway point without the batter responsible for nearly every acceleration in the innings.
Afghanistan finally had a route back into the game.
Afghanistan’s Best Phase Came After Abhishek Had Already Done the Damage
The final 10 overs looked almost like a different innings.
India had reached 142 without loss. They finished on 221 for seven.
That means Afghanistan conceded only 79 runs while taking seven wickets across the remaining 10.1 overs.
The late fightback deserves credit because it stopped the kind of score that could have entered T20I record territory.
Azmatullah Omarzai finished with two for 27 from three overs. Rashid removed Abhishek. Abdollah Ahmadzai dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy, and three Indian batters were run out as Afghanistan finally disrupted the flow of the innings.
Farooqi and Ahmadzai also found their yorkers more consistently at the death, forcing India to hit straighter and reducing the number of clean boundary opportunities.
India could perhaps have countered by manipulating more deliveries behind square rather than continuing to search for conventional boundary options, but the larger problem for Afghanistan was obvious.
Their best bowling phase began when India already had 142 on the board.
Sanju Samson’s Fifty Was Overshadowed but Still Mattered
Scoring 50 in a T20 international and becoming an afterthought requires an unusual match.
Samson experienced exactly that.
He made 50 from 35 balls with two fours and four sixes, following his 57 from 22 in the second T20I.
His innings was far less explosive than Abhishek’s, but the contrast helped India.
Samson did not compete with his opening partner for tempo. He allowed Abhishek to take on the majority of the attacking responsibility and then increased his own aggression once established.
That role clarity was missing during parts of India’s difficult summer. Against England at Old Trafford, India scored 190 but still lost control of the match. Three days later, things became far worse.
India’s Collapse From 142/0 Is the One Batting Warning
The final score should not hide the most obvious imperfection in India’s innings.
Once Abhishek departed, the middle order did not sustain the pressure.
| India Batter | Runs | Balls |
|---|---|---|
| Abhishek Sharma | 108 | 34 |
| Sanju Samson | 50 | 35 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 29 | 20 |
| Shivam Dube | 14 | 10 |
| Ishan Kishan | 10 | 8 |
| Tilak Varma | 2 | 5 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 1 | 4 |
Shreyas Iyer’s 29 from 20 gave the innings some stability, but India never rediscovered the almost surreal acceleration of the opening partnership.
That is a useful detail as India continue shaping their T20I identity.
During the England series, aggression repeatedly became recklessness. At Trent Bridge, India were bowled out for 76 in a 125-run defeat. At Bristol, another defeat exposed the fragility of their T20 structure.
Against Afghanistan, India have moved much closer to finding the balance between aggression and control.
The final 10 overs show there is still room to improve.
Afghanistan Needed a Perfect Chase and Lost Four Wickets in the Powerplay
A target of 222 required Afghanistan to attack immediately without allowing early wickets to destroy the chase.
They managed the first part briefly.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck three boundaries in his 15 from 11 balls. Ibrahim Zadran was even more aggressive, scoring 25 from 16 with four fours and a six.
But by the end of the powerplay, Afghanistan were 51 for four.
Gurbaz had been bowled by Axar Patel. Sediqullah Atal followed for one. Jasprit Bumrah removed Darwish Rasooli for a golden duck. Yash Thakur then dismissed Ibrahim.
The required rate was already above 11 per over before the chase began. Four wickets inside six overs removed any realistic route toward sustaining it.
Ibrahim Zadran’s Difficult Series Ends Without a Rescue
Ibrahim’s 25 was Afghanistan’s highest score.
That alone describes the scale of the batting failure.
Afghanistan repeatedly spent this series recovering from early damage rather than building innings on their own terms. In the first T20I they slipped to 43 for five before Omarzai rescued the total. In the second, India again controlled the top order before Rashid and the lower middle order pushed the score to 159.
The final match removed even that recovery.
No Afghanistan batter reached 30.
The Series Never Gave Afghanistan a Stable Batting Foundation
India’s margins tell the story.
- 1st T20I: India won by seven wickets with 38 balls remaining.
- 2nd T20I: India won by seven wickets with 31 balls remaining.
- 3rd T20I: India won by 127 runs.
Afghanistan were not losing one particular matchup.
They were losing both innings.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s Bowling Is Becoming Harder to Treat as a Bonus
Nitish’s batting contribution was only one run, but his influence arrived later.
He dismissed Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to finish with three for 25 from four overs.
The spell continued a clear upward trend.
Nitish had already taken three for 24 in the second T20I, meaning he finished the final two matches with six wickets.
That matters for India’s balance.
A batting all-rounder who can genuinely provide four useful overs changes selection options, particularly when India want additional hitting depth without reducing the number of bowling choices.
Ravi Bishnoi Finishes What Axar and Nitish Started
Bishnoi’s figures of three for 26 were slightly more expensive than Axar’s spell, but his wickets closed the match.
He dismissed Noor ul Rahman, Rashid Khan and Abdollah Ahmadzai, with Axar taking the catch at deep midwicket to finish the game after 14.1 overs.
Axar himself had already produced one of the cleanest spells of the night.
Three overs. Nine runs. Two wickets.
He removed Gurbaz and Atal before later completing the catch that ended Afghanistan’s innings.
Bumrah’s Return Gives India Another Important Tick
Jasprit Bumrah’s return to the T20I side was one of the important subplots entering this series.
India had originally selected him subject to fitness clearance, as confirmed in the BCCI’s official squad announcement.
He completed the series with another short spell in the final match, bowling two overs for 16 and dismissing Rasooli first ball.
The figures are secondary to the broader point.
India wanted competitive overs into Bumrah after his injury interruption. They got them without needing to overload him.
Varun Chakaravarthy’s Injury Is the Significant Negative
India leave Delhi with a clean sweep, a record-breaking opening batter, another strong Samson contribution, encouraging bowling from Nitish, and Bumrah back on the field.
The major concern is Varun Chakaravarthy.
His comeback lasted only one match.
Varun had returned in the series opener after two months out and bowled four overs for one for 16, including 13 dot balls. He then suffered discomfort in the left lateral abdominal region.
Scans revealed a side strain, and he was ruled out of the remaining two matches, according to the ICC’s official injury update.
That is particularly frustrating because his first comeback spell suggested he had lost very little rhythm.
India Have Travelled a Long Way From Their Summer T20I Low
The Afghanistan series needs context.
India were in a very different place only a few months ago.
Ireland beat them for the first time. England then exposed the same problems repeatedly. The defeat at Trent Bridge represented the statistical low point, while Bristol made the structural problem harder to ignore.
The reset began when India’s young side ended a seven-match winless run against Zimbabwe.
Afghanistan have now provided something more substantial.
Abhishek has produced 82, 39 and 108 across the series.
Samson has answered questions around his position with consecutive fifties.
Nitish is becoming a meaningful bowling option.
Bumrah has returned.
Bishnoi and Axar remain wicket-taking threats.
India are still attacking aggressively, but the approach no longer looks as uncontrolled as it did during the worst nights in England.
India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I Full Batting Scorecards
India Batting
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanju Samson | 50 | 35 | 2 | 4 | 142.85 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 108 | 34 | 9 | 11 | 317.64 |
| Tilak Varma | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 29 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 145.00 |
| Shivam Dube | 14 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 140.00 |
| Ishan Kishan | 10 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 125.00 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Axar Patel | 5* | 4 | 0 | 0 | 125.00 |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 0* | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Total | 221/7 in 20 overs | ||||
Afghanistan Batting
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | 15 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 136.36 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | 25 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 156.25 |
| Sediqullah Atal | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Darwish Rasooli | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 17 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 130.76 |
| Noor ul Rahman | 11 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 73.33 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 8 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 88.88 |
| Rashid Khan | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Abdollah Ahmadzai | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 0* | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 94 all out in 14.1 overs | ||||
India Complete the Sweep With More Answers Than Questions
Afghanistan can take one small victory from the final match.
They prevented 300.
At the end of six overs, even that did not look certain.
Their bowlers recovered well enough to transform 142 without loss into 221 for seven, and Rashid again showed why Afghanistan need him when matches begin slipping away.
But the wider series left a much harsher conclusion.
India won the first match with 38 balls remaining.
They won the second with 31 balls remaining.
They won the third by 127 runs.
Afghanistan never made India uncomfortable for long enough.
For India, the most important development is not simply the 3-0 scoreline. It is the growing clarity around how they want to play.
Abhishek is pushing the upper limit of powerplay batting. Samson has found a complementary role. Nitish is offering wickets. Bumrah is back. The spin attack still has depth even while Varun recovers.
A few months ago, India’s aggressive T20 philosophy looked as if it might be creating as many problems as it solved.
Delhi produced a different picture.
On the final night, Afghanistan prevented 300.
They could not prevent everything that came after it.
Continue the Cricket Story
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I?
India beat Afghanistan by 127 runs in New Delhi to complete a 3-0 series sweep.
What was the India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I score?
India scored 221 for seven from 20 overs. Afghanistan were bowled out for 94 in 14.1 overs.
How many runs did Abhishek Sharma score?
Abhishek Sharma scored 108 runs from 34 deliveries, hitting nine fours and 11 sixes.
How fast was Abhishek Sharma’s century?
Abhishek reached his hundred from 30 balls, the fastest T20I century by an Indian and the third-fastest in men’s T20I history.
What was India’s powerplay score?
India scored 100 without loss from the first six overs, their highest powerplay total in T20 international cricket.
How many runs did Sanju Samson score?
Samson made 50 from 35 balls, following his 57 from 22 in the second T20I.
Who took the most wickets for India?
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi took three wickets each. Nitish finished with 3/25 and Bishnoi with 3/26.
How did Jasprit Bumrah perform?
Bumrah bowled two overs for 16 runs and dismissed Darwish Rasooli for a golden duck.
Why did Varun Chakaravarthy miss the third T20I?
Varun was ruled out after scans confirmed a side strain suffered during the opening match of the series.
What was the final India vs Afghanistan series result?
India won the three-match T20I series 3-0.
Abhishek Sharma
- Unstoppable Abhishek Sharma’s 30-Ball Century Powers India to a 3-0 Sweep over Afghanistan
- Samson and Nitish Help India Clinch Afghanistan T20I Series in Just Two Matches
- Abhishek Sharma Destroys Afghanistan as India Take 1-0 Lead in Delhi
- Buttler and Brook Crush India as England Complete Historic 4-0 Whitewash
