Who Won India vs Afghanistan Today? Match Result, Score & Highlights

September 17, 2026 – Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi – India beat Afghanistan by 127 runs (3rd T20I series of the year). They posted a total of 221 runs in the stipulated 20 overs and bowled out Afghanistan for just 94 runs in only 14.1 overs. With the victory, India took a 3–0 series win.

Top scorer Abhishek Sharma hit 108 off just 34 balls, including the league’s quickest hundred off only 30 balls. Afghanistan’s chase fell short of 143. Sanju Samson scored 50 && Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi picked three wickets each in Afghanistan innings2nd Test (MDAT), Hyderabad, 3rd Oct. Sanju Samson: 50, Nitish Kumar Reddy: 42; Afghanistan’s Mohammed Shazad out for the first time.

Who Won India vs Afghanistan Today?

Match Report: IndiaWinBy127Runs

IND vs NZ: Indian team finished ona  3–0 high in the T20I series against New Zealand, winning the third T20I by 127 runs.

Match No.14, League India won the toss set a target of 221/7 (20)→Winner: India :​Date: Sep 17 – 2026 →Ground Arun Jaitley Stadium→Location – New Delhi. That run rate was never attainable by Afghanistan, who succumbed for 94 in 14.1 overs.

The most remarkable aspect of the result was that India had not pulled off close games to clinch the series; rather did not have to come back from behind. India’s bowlers first reduced Afghanistan to 31/0 before bundling out their innings for just 94 all out after a solid performance from the batting side.

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India vs Afghanistan Result at a Glance

Item	Details
Match	India vs Afghanistan, 3rd T20I
Date	September 17, 2026
Venue	Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
Winner	India
India score	221/7 in 20 overs
Afghanistan score	94 all out in 14.1 overs
Winning margin	127 runs
Series result	India won 3–0
Player of the Match	Abhishek Sharma
Player of the Series	Abhishek Sharma

India vs Afghanistan Scorecard

India Batting Scorecard

India finished on 221/7, powered by an extraordinary innings from Abhishek Sharma and a half-century from Sanju Samson.

Batter	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	Strike rate
Abhishek Sharma	108	34	9	11	317.65
Sanju Samson	50	35	2	4	142.86
Shreyas Iyer	29	20	0	2	145.00
Shivam Dube	14	10	1	1	140.00
Ishan Kishan	10	8	1	0	125.00
Axar Patel	5*	4	0	0	125.00
Tilak Varma	2	5	0	0	40.00
Nitish Kumar Reddy	1	4	0	0	25.00
Ravi Bishnoi	0*	–	–	–	–
Total	221/7	20 overs

The opening partnership was especially important. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson added 142 runs in 9.5 overs, giving India an ideal platform for a total above 200.

Afghanistan Batting Scorecard

Afghanistan started strongly enough at 31/0, but India’s bowlers quickly changed the direction of the chase.

Batter	Runs	Balls	Key dismissal
Ibrahim Zadran	25	16	b Yash Thakur
Rahmanullah Gurbaz	15	11	b Axar Patel
Azmatullah Omarzai	17	13	b Nitish Kumar Reddy
Noor ul Rahman	11	15	b Ravi Bishnoi
Mohammad Nabi	8	9	b Nitish Kumar Reddy
Rashid Khan	6	5	b Ravi Bishnoi
Abdollah Ahmadzai	6	8	b Ravi Bishnoi
Sediqullah Atal	1	3	b Axar Patel
Darwish Rasooli	0	1	b Jasprit Bumrah
Mujeeb Ur Rahman	0	2	b Nitish Kumar Reddy
Fazalhaq Farooqi	0*	2	Not out
Total	94 all out	14.1 overs

India Bowling Figures

India used wickets at regular intervals to turn Afghanistan’s promising start into a heavy defeat.

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets
Nitish Kumar Reddy	4	25	3
Ravi Bishnoi	3.1	26	3
Axar Patel	3	9	2
Jasprit Bumrah	2	16	1
Yash Thakur	2	17	1

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s three-wicket over was particularly damaging, removing Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

How India Beat Afghanistan

Abhishek Sharma Sets the Tone

India’s innings was built around an extraordinary assault from opener Abhishek Sharma.

He reached his half-century in only 16 balls and then needed just another 14 deliveries to reach three figures. He eventually finished with 108 from 34 balls, hitting nine fours and 11 sixes.

That gave him a strike rate of 317.65, meaning he scored more than three runs for every ball he faced.

Sanju Samson provided the other major contribution at the top, scoring 50 from 35 balls. Together, the opening pair put India in control before the middle order took the total beyond 200.

India Posts 221/7

India’s innings can be understood in three phases:

1. Powerplay: Abhishek Sharma attacked immediately, and India raced to 100.
2. Middle overs: Abhishek completed his century before being dismissed for 108.
3. Final overs: Shreyas Iyer and the lower middle order helped India finish on 221/7.

The most important number is India’s powerplay score: 100. It was reported by BCCI as India’s highest-ever powerplay total in men’s T20Is.

Afghanistan’s Chase Collapses

Afghanistan began its chase with 31 runs without losing a wicket, creating at least some early momentum.

Axar Patel then removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal, and India’s other bowlers kept applying pressure.

The decisive passage came when Nitish Kumar Reddy took three wickets in one over. Ravi Bishnoi then helped clean up the tail, finishing with 3/26.

Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for just 94 in 14.1 overs.

Abhishek Sharma’s Record-Breaking 108

How Many Balls Did Abhishek Sharma Take to Score His Century?

Abhishek Sharma reached his century in 30 balls.

That was the fastest T20I century by an Indian batter and, according to BCCI, the fastest T20I hundred by a batter from a Full Member nation. It surpassed the previous 33-ball benchmark held jointly by Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza and New Zealand’s Finn Allen.

The record is more precise than simply calling it the “fastest century in cricket.” The achievement relates specifically to men’s T20 internationals and the relevant Full Member/Indian categories.

Abhishek Sharma’s 108 in Numbers

Statistic	Figure
Runs	108
Balls	34
Fours	9
Sixes	11
Century	30 balls
Strike rate	317.65
Fifty	16 balls

One striking feature of the innings was the acceleration after his fifty. Abhishek needed only 14 more balls to move from 50 to 100.

How His Century Compares With the Previous Indian Record

Batter	Century	Context
Abhishek Sharma	30 balls	Afghanistan, 2026
Rohit Sharma	35 balls	Sri Lanka, 2017

Abhishek’s 30-ball hundred therefore improved the previous Indian men’s T20I benchmark by five deliveries.

Why India Won the Match

India’s Explosive Powerplay

India effectively put the game on a different trajectory during the first six overs.

Abhishek Sharma’s hitting was the main driver, and India reached 100 runs in the powerplay. That gave the rest of the innings an unusually strong foundation.

For Afghanistan, the challenge was therefore not simply to chase a large total. They had to score at a very high rate from the beginning while also preserving wickets.

Afghanistan Could Not Sustain Its Start

Afghanistan’s innings tells the story of the match particularly well.

Stage	Afghanistan
Early innings	31/0
Final score	94 all out
Runs added after losing the first wicket	63
Overs batted	14.1

The early partnership disappeared once India’s spinners and seamers began taking wickets.

India’s Bowling Pressure

India did not rely on one bowler alone.

Axar Patel made the first breakthrough with two wickets, while Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi each finished with three wickets.

Nitish’s three-wicket over was especially important because it removed experienced Afghanistan batters in quick succession. Bishnoi then finished the innings by taking three wickets for 26 runs.

India vs Afghanistan Series Result

First T20I Result

India won the opening T20I by seven wickets on September 13.

Afghanistan made 156/8, with Azmatullah Omarzai scoring an unbeaten 64 from 44 balls. India chased the target in 13.4 overs, led by Abhishek Sharma’s 82 from 32 balls.

Second T20I Result

India won the second T20I by seven wickets on September 15.

Afghanistan scored 159/8 before India reached 163/3 in 14.5 overs. Sanju Samson led the chase with 57 from only 22 balls, while Abhishek Sharma contributed 39 from 19.

Third T20I Result

India won the third T20I by 127 runs.

India scored 221/7, Afghanistan were bowled out for 94, and Abhishek Sharma produced the defining innings of the match with 108 from 34 balls.

Final Series Score – India 3–0 Afghanistan

Match	Winner	Margin
1st T20I	India	7 wickets
2nd T20I	India	7 wickets
3rd T20I	India	127 runs
Series	India	3–0

The three-match series therefore ended in a clean sweep for India.

India vs Afghanistan Key Player Stats

Player	Team	Performance
Abhishek Sharma	India	108 off 34
Sanju Samson	India	50 off 35
Ravi Bishnoi	India	3/26
Nitish Kumar Reddy	India	3/25
Axar Patel	India	2/9
Ibrahim Zadran	Afghanistan	25 off 16

Abhishek Sharma was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series, underlining how influential his performances were across the three games.

What This Match Means for the Series

The third T20I confirmed a 3–0 series sweep for India.

The series also produced a consistent pattern. India won the first two matches while chasing, then produced its biggest performance of the series after batting first in the finale.

Abhishek Sharma was central to that run. He made 82 in the first T20I and then followed it with 39 in the second before producing his record-breaking 108 in the final match.

For a reader interested in the series as a whole, the third game therefore wasn’t an isolated result. It completed a sequence in which India won all three matches and finished with a particularly emphatic final victory.

Unique Match Information You Won’t Get From a Basic Result Report

Match vs Series – What’s the Difference?

These are two related but different results:

Question	Answer
Who won today’s match?	India
Who won the series?	India, 3–0

India’s 127-run win was the result of the third T20I. The 3–0 figure describes the outcome of the entire three-match series.

The Match in Six Key Moments

1. India chose its route to a huge total.
India batted first and immediately put Afghanistan under pressure.

2. Abhishek Sharma attacked from the opening overs.
He reached 50 from 16 balls and continued at an extraordinary rate.

3. Abhishek reached his century in 30 balls.
The milestone became the defining individual achievement of the match.

4. India finished on 221/7.
The total gave Afghanistan a demanding chase of 222.

5. Afghanistan reached 31/0 but could not maintain the momentum.
India’s bowlers began taking wickets soon after.

6. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi finished the job.
Three wickets apiece helped India dismiss Afghanistan for 94 and seal the 127-run win.

The Numbers That Explain the 127-Run Win

Statistic	India	Afghanistan
Runs	221/7	94 all out
Overs	20.0	14.1
Difference	127 runs	–
Top score	Abhishek Sharma, 108	Ibrahim Zadran, 25

The score difference is straightforward: 221 − 94 = 127.

But the size of the victory was not caused by one factor alone. India’s 221 came from an exceptional opening assault, while Afghanistan then lost wickets too quickly to mount a sustained chase.

What Was Actually Record-Breaking?

There are several numbers worth separating:

• 30 balls: Abhishek Sharma’s century.
• 108 runs: His final score.
• 34 balls: The number of deliveries he faced in total.
• 11 sixes: His six-hitting contribution.
• 317.65: His final strike rate.

The most important distinction is between the 30-ball century and the 34-ball innings. Abhishek did not score 108 in 30 balls; he reached 100 in 30 and finished on 108 after facing 34 deliveries.

India vs Afghanistan Today – Quick Match Timeline

India innings → explosive opening → Abhishek Sharma 108 off 34 → India 221/7

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Afghanistan chase → 31/0 start → wickets begin to fall → 94 all out

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Result → India win by 127 runs → India complete a 3–0 series sweep

For readers who only wanted the result, that is the entire match story in three steps: India created the advantage with the bat, then defended it through sustained bowling pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions