Bridgetown, Barbados: India emerged victorious over Afghanistan by 47 runs in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eights clash at Bridgetown, Barbados, on Thursday.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first in their Caribbean debut, India set a formidable total of 181/8 in 20 overs. Suryakumar Yadav led the charge with a brisk 53 off 28 balls, supported by Hardik Pandya’s quickfire 32 off 24.
Afghanistan’s response was hampered by early setbacks, courtesy of an aggressive start from Jasprit Bumrah, who claimed two early wickets. The Indian spinners, led by Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, kept the pressure on, ensuring Afghanistan never found their footing. Despite a challenging start, Rohit Sharma’s team delivered a commanding performance.
Bumrah was the standout bowler for India, taking three key wickets, including the dismissal of Najibullah Zadran. Arshdeep Singh, after a shaky start, made a strong comeback to claim three wickets, as India’s bowlers dominated the latter half of the game, bowling Afghanistan out for 134.
For Afghanistan, Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi each took three wickets, conceding 26 and 33 runs respectively. However, their efforts fell short of turning the game in Afghanistan’s favor.
India will next face Bangladesh in Antigua on Saturday at 8 PM IST, aiming to continue their winning momentum in the Super Eights stage of the tournament.