New Delhi, Sept 2026 : Azmatullah Omarzai produced a sensational late counter-attacking innings to rescue Afghanistan from a precarious position and guide them to a respectable 156/8 against India in the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Sunday.
The seam-bowling all-rounder remained unbeaten on 64 off 44 deliveries, striking four boundaries and four sixes, as Afghanistan recovered from a dramatic collapse that had left them struggling at 43/5 after seven overs.
India, after winning the toss and opting to bowl, made an immediate impact through returning pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Playing his first international match after a break, Bumrah removed Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in the opening over, setting the tone for India's bowling effort.
Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal attempted to rebuild the innings, but Afghanistan's progress was soon interrupted. Zadran was run out after being caught short of his crease following a sharp throw from Ishan Kishan, while Atal fell to Arshdeep Singh after mistiming his shot towards gully.
Afghanistan's problems deepened when India introduced spin into the attack. Axar Patel struck in his first over by having Gulbadin Naib caught at point, before Varun Chakaravarthy, returning to international cricket, dismissed Darwish Rasooli with a skidding delivery that crashed into the leg stump.
At 43/5, Afghanistan appeared to be heading towards a below-par total. However, veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi joined Omarzai and the pair launched a determined recovery. The duo added 83 runs from 56 deliveries, providing Afghanistan with much-needed stability.
Nabi, who scored 33 from 27 balls, took advantage of the fifth-bowling options used by India. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube struggled to contain the Afghan batters, with the trio conceding 59 runs at an economy rate of 14.75.
Nabi struck several boundaries during the partnership, including a superb straight six against Reddy. Omarzai also settled into his innings before gradually increasing the tempo as Afghanistan looked to rebuild their total.
India eventually broke the partnership through Arshdeep, who used a clever change of pace to dismiss Nabi. A slower delivery disturbed the veteran batter's stumps and gave Arshdeep his second wicket of the innings.
The left-arm pacer then struck again soon afterwards, removing Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan to finish with an impressive three-wicket haul. Arshdeep ended the innings with figures of 3/19, emerging as India's most successful bowler.
Afghanistan lost Noor Ahmad late in the innings after a sharp direct hit from India captain Shreyas Iyer resulted in a run-out in the 19th over. Despite losing wickets regularly, Omarzai remained at the crease and ensured Afghanistan finished strongly.
Having reached his half-century from 39 balls, Omarzai shifted gears dramatically in the final over bowled by Dube. He smashed two enormous sixes over long-on and deep extra cover, putting Afghanistan within reach of the 150-run mark.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman then added successive boundaries off Dube to push Afghanistan to 156/8 at the end of their 20 overs — a total that appeared highly unlikely when they were reduced to 43/5 in the seventh over.
For India, Arshdeep's 3/19 was the standout bowling performance, while Bumrah returned with 1/26. Axar Patel and Chakaravarthy also picked up a wicket each and maintained pressure with disciplined, stump-to-stump bowling.
However, India's reliance on part-time or fifth-bowler options could be a concern, with Reddy, Abhishek and Dube collectively conceding 59 runs.
Brief Score: Afghanistan 156/8 in 20 overs (Azmatullah Omarzai 64 not out, Mohammad Nabi 33; Arshdeep Singh 3/19, Varun Chakaravarthy 1/16) vs India.
