Key Takeaways
- Sanju Samson scored 57 off 22 balls to guide India to a seven-wicket win.
- India chased down 160 with 5.1 overs to spare, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.
- Afghanistan managed 159-8, but could not match India's aggressive batting.
Sanju Samson's explosive batting performance led India to a dominant seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the second T20 International at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Samson, who struck 57 off just 22 balls, was the star of the show, putting India on track for a series-clinching win.
Alongside Abhishek Sharma, who contributed 39 off 19 balls, Samson's opening partnership of 88 runs in just 6.2 overs set the tone for India's victory.
Samson's aggressive approach saw him hit four boundaries in one over and two sixes and two fours in another, reaching his fifty in just 20 balls.
Despite a strong start, Abhishek was cut short by Rashid Khan, who hit him for a six, but Samson's innings was enough to secure the win.
India's bowlers, led by Nitish Kumar Reddy, kept Afghanistan to 159-8, with Reddy taking 3-24 from three overs.
Afghanistan's skipper Ibrahim Zadran struggled to 37, while Nabi and Rashid Khan managed to add 20 and 28 respectively, but it was not enough to save the match.
Zadran acknowledged their need to improve, stating, 'We should go with the right intent to score 200 and 200 plus, and we didn’t apply that.'
The third match of the series is scheduled for Thursday at the same venue, with India looking to seal the series with a win.
It’s the nature of the format, the nature of how India have been playing their cricket.
Sanju Samson, Indian cricketer
We thought about the things on how to improve from 150-160; we should go with the right intent to score 200 and 200 plus, and we didn’t apply that.
Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan captain
