India beat Afghanistan 3-0 in their September 2026 T20I series, with all three matches played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. They won the first two by seven wickets each and finished with a 127-run win in the third T20I, where Abhishek Sharma made 108 off 34 balls, the fastest T20I century by a batter from a full-member nation.
Series results
| Match | Date | Scores | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 13 September | Afghanistan 156/8, India 157/3 (13.4 overs) | India won by 7 wickets |
| 2nd T20I | 15 September | Afghanistan 159/8, India reached the target in 14.5 overs | India won by 7 wickets |
| 3rd T20I | 17 September | India 221/7, Afghanistan 94 all out (14.1 overs) | India won by 127 runs |
1st T20I: Abhishek’s 82 sets the tone
India won the toss and bowled. Jasprit Bumrah removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in the first over, and Afghanistan were 41 for 4 at the end of the powerplay. Azmatullah Omarzai rescued them with 64 off 44 balls, adding 83 for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Nabi (33), and Afghanistan reached 156 for 8. Arshdeep Singh took 3 for 19.
The chase was over with 38 balls to spare. Abhishek Sharma hit 82 off 32 balls and put on 121 with Ishan Kishan, who made 42. Nabi removed both of them late on, but Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma finished the job. Abhishek was named player of the match.
2nd T20I: Samson and Reddy seal the series
Iyer won the toss again and bowled first. Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran made 37 and Rashid Khan 28, but Nitish Kumar Reddy took 3 for 24 and Afghanistan were held to 159 for 8. Arshdeep added two wickets, including Gurbaz for another duck.
Sanju Samson then hit 57 off 22 balls with seven fours and four sixes. Abhishek made 39 off 19, and Kishan (38 not out) and Varma (15 not out) finished the chase with 5.1 overs left. The win gave India an unbeatable 2-0 lead, and Reddy was player of the match.
3rd T20I: India win by 127 runs
On 17 September, Abhishek made 108 off 34 balls with 9 fours and 11 sixes, reaching three figures in 30 balls. His hundred broke Rohit Sharma’s India record for the fastest T20I century, 35 balls, set in 2017. Samson made 50 off 35 balls as India reached 221 for 7.
Afghanistan were bowled out for 94 in 14.1 overs. Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with 25, the only Afghanistan batter to pass 20. Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi took three wickets each, and Axar Patel two.
Top performers
- Abhishek Sharma: 82, 39 and 108 for 229 runs in the series.
- Nitish Kumar Reddy: 3 for 24 in the second match and three more wickets in the third.
- Arshdeep Singh: five wickets in the first two matches, including 3 for 19 in the opener.
- Sanju Samson: 57 off 22 balls in the second match and 50 in the third.
What came next
India played a one-off T20 against Japan before starting their Asian Games campaign, where the men’s team went on to win gold. Read more in our India at Asian Games 2026 report. Abhishek, Samson and Reddy were also in the side that faced West Indies in October: see our India vs West Indies 3rd T20I report.
Updated 14 October 2026 with full details of all three matches. Sources: All India Radio News (1st T20I), Khaleej Times (1st T20I), All India Radio News (2nd T20I), Khaleej Times (2nd T20I), Free Press Journal (3rd T20I) and The Star (Reuters).
