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.
India secured a seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the first T20I match held in New Delhi. The match served as a key preparation for the upcoming Asian Games, with strong performances from the Indian batting lineup.
Why it matters
International cricket series are vital for team building and ranking, especially ahead of major multi-sport events like the Asian Games.
India and Afghanistan get their three-match T20I series underway in New Delhi on September 13.
Shreyas Iyer takes charge of this T20I squad for the first time on Indian soil. The series doubles as a final dry run before the Asian Games get underway on September 24 in Japan, so the management will be keen to get squad combinations right.
India's recent form doesn't quite fit the profile of T20 World Cup champions. They suffered back-to-back T20I defeats to Ireland in June. England then handed them a 4-0 T20I series defeat, followed by a 2-1 setback in the ODIs.
Some pride was recovered in Zimbabwe, but there's clearly work to be done. The returns of Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar significantly strengthen the unit, and the expectation is that India will be considerably sharper here than they were in recent outings.
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