India secured a convincing six-wicket victory against Afghanistan in the second T20I on Sunday, January 14, consequently clinching the three-match series at Indore's Holkar Cricket Stadium. Arshdeep Singh played a pivotal role, claiming three wickets to bowl out Afghanistan for 172 runs. Subsequently, Yashasvi Jasiwal and Shivam Dube's explosive fifties propelled India to a dominating win.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, India saw the return of Virat Kohli to T20I action after a 14-month hiatus. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal replaced Shubman Gill, and Kohli stepped in for Tilak Varma. Afghanistan made a single change, bringing in young spin all-rounder Noor Ahmad for veteran Rahmat Shah.
Afghanistan faced early setbacks, losing openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran during the powerplay overs. However, a resilient fifty from Gulabdin Naib kept their innings afloat. Despite Naib's effort, Indian bowlers staged a comeback, restricting Afghanistan to a total of 172 for 10 in 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh stood out with three wickets for 32, while Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi contributed with two wickets each.
In pursuit of a challenging target, India suffered an early setback as captain Rohit Sharma departed for a golden duck in the first over, courtesy of Fazalhaq Farooqi. However, the returning pair of Kohli and Jaiswal swiftly added 57 runs for the second wicket, establishing early control for India. Kohli displayed aggressive batting, scoring 29 off just 16 balls with five fours. Although Naveen-ul-Haq dismissed Kohli in the sixth over, it had minimal impact on India's momentum.
Shivam Dube and Jaiswal further solidified India's position by adding a match-defining 94 runs for the third wicket. Jaiswal top-scored with an impressive 68 off 34 balls before losing his wicket to Karim Janat. However, Dube remained unbeaten on 63 off 32, guiding India to a six-wicket victory in just 15.4 overs.
Afghanistan's Playing XI included Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. India's Playing XI featured Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, and Mukesh Kumar.
