2nd T20I: India look to seal series, address fifth-bowler conundrum against Afghanistan
India's cricket team is preparing for the second T20I against Afghanistan, aiming to seal the series victory. Captain Shreyas Iyer is focused on resolving the team's fifth-bowler reliability issues ahead of the upcoming Asian Games.
Why it matters
The match serves as a critical testing ground for India's squad depth and tactical adjustments before major international tournaments.
The lack of a reliable fifth bowling option in the injury-forced absence of Hardik Pandya seems to be the only major concern for India as they look to deliver another knockout punch and seal the series against Afghanistan in the second T20I on Tuesday (September 15, 2026 ).
World Cup winners India returned to the shortest format with a dominant show, beating Afghanistan by seven wickets in a one-sided contest on Sunday (September 15) in New Delhi.
Shreyas Iyer's men ticked all the boxes as pacer Arshdeep Singh and opening batter Abhishek Sharma produced sensational performances to set up the win.
While Arshdeep (3/19) was precise in his execution to help India restrict Afghanistan to 156 for eight, Abhishek came out all guns blazing with a 32-ball 82 to help complete the chase in 13.4 overs.
Also covering this story
3 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Game time after injury hiccups: Full-strength India take on Afghanistan in 1st T20I
India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I, score, result and highlights from New Delhi as India demolishes the visitors on their way to a seven-wicket victory.
IND vs AFG: Arshdeep, Abhishek power India to 7-wicket win over Afghanistan
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