Chasing a target of 157, India raced to 157 for three in just 13.4 overs, with the hosts completing a comfortable victory with 38 balls to spare.
Abhishek Sharma led India’s chase with a blistering 82 off 32 balls, smashing seven fours and seven sixes. Ishan Kishan contributed 42 off 33 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten on 8 and Tilak Varma on 3.
Earlier, Afghanistan posted 156 for eight in their 20 overs after being sent in to bat. Azmatullah Omarzai top-scored with an unbeaten 64 off 44 balls, while Mohammad Nabi made 33.
India’s Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler, claiming three wickets for 19 runs in his four overs. Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy took one wicket each.
Afghanistan’s bowlers struggled to contain India’s aggressive batting. Nabi took two wickets, while Omarzai claimed one, but India completed the chase comfortably.
The three-match T20I series is being played from September 13 to 17 at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. The second match will be played on September 15, followed by the third on September 17.
Interestingly, although the series is being played in India, Afghanistan is listed as the host of the series.