Suryakumar Yadav’s explosive half-century and stellar bowling performances by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh led India to a 47-run victory over Afghanistan in their ICC T20 World Cup Super Eights clash in Barbados on Thursday.
India now looks forward to their upcoming matches against Bangladesh on June 22 and Australia on June 24, needing strong performances to secure a semifinal spot.
Chasing a target of 182, Afghanistan started well with Rahmanullah Gurbaz hitting a four and a six off Arshdeep Singh in the first over. However, Jasprit Bumrah soon had Gurbaz caught behind for 11 runs. Afghanistan was 13/1 in 1.2 overs.
Axar Patel dismissed opener Ibrahim Zadran, caught by skipper Rohit Sharma for eight runs, leaving Afghanistan at 23/2 in 3.4 overs. Hazratullah Zazai was next to fall, caught by Ravindra Jadeja off Bumrah for just two runs, reducing Afghanistan to 23/3 in 4.1 overs.
By the end of the powerplay, Afghanistan was 35/3, with Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai at the crease. They reached their 50-run mark in 8.1 overs. At the halfway mark, Afghanistan was 66/3, with Naib and Omarzai trying to build a partnership.
Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja then tightened the screws. Kuldeep dismissed Naib for 17, and Jadeja removed Omarzai for 26, reducing Afghanistan to 71/5 in 11.1 overs.
Najibullah Zadran and Mohammed Nabi tried to steady the ship, taking Afghanistan to 100 runs in 14.4 overs. However, Bumrah struck again, removing Najibullah for 19. Kuldeep then dismissed Nabi for 14, caught near the boundary by Jadeja. Afghanistan was 114/7 in 16.3 overs.
Jadeja continued his excellent fielding, catching Rashid Khan off Arshdeep Singh for just two runs. Arshdeep then claimed Naveen ul Haq for a golden duck. Afghanistan was 121/9 in 17.5 overs. Arshdeep wrapped up the innings by getting Noor Ahmed caught by Rohit on the final ball, dismissing Afghanistan for 124.
Bumrah (3/7) and Arshdeep (3/36) were India’s top bowlers, with Kuldeep, Axar, and Jadeja contributing one wicket each.
Earlier, Suryakumar Yadav’s half-century and his 60-run partnership with Hardik Pandya helped India post 181/8 in their 20 overs.
After a slow start, losing skipper Rohit Sharma for eight runs, Rishabh Pant accelerated the scoring but was dismissed for 20 by Rashid Khan. Virat Kohli fell for 24, and Shivam Dube was removed for 10 runs.
Suryakumar and Hardik then took charge, bringing up the 100-run mark in 12.2 overs. Suryakumar reached his half-century in 27 balls before being caught for 53. Hardik’s knock of 32 ended with a catch by Omarzai off Naveen ul Haq. India finished with 181/8, thanks to some late boundaries by Axar Patel.
Farooqi (3/33) and Rashid (3/26) were the standout bowlers for Afghanistan, with Naveen ul Haq taking one wicket.
Brief Scores: India: 181/8 (Suryakumar Yadav 53, Hardik Pandya 32, Rashid Khan 3/26) beat Afghanistan: 124 (Azmatullah Omarzai 26, Najibullah Zadran 19, Jasprit Bumrah 3/7).
