Fans react as Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah guide India to easy victory over Afghanistan in T20 World Cup 2024

Team India kicked off their Super 8 campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 with a convincing win over Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday.

Electing to bat first after winning the toss, India set themselves a tough target of 181/8 in 20 overs. Despite losing opener Rohit Sharma early for just 8 runs, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant steadied the ship. Kohli’s 24 off 24 balls and Pant’s quick 20 off 11 balls set the stage for an average routine. The man of the match was Suryakumar Yadav, who blasted 53 off 28 balls, including 5 fours and 3 sixes, taking India to a competitive total. Contributions from Hardik Pandya, who scored 32 runs off 24 balls, along with the late arrivals of Axar Patel and Shivam Dube, ensured that India reached the challenging total. Afghanistan’s bowlers had their moments, especially Rashid Khan, who did well with 3/26, and Fazalhaq Farooqi, who also took three wickets.
Afghanistan Bowling Efforts
Afghanistan’s bowling attack put up a commendable effort against a strong Indian batting line-up. Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers, showing his skill and experience by taking 3 wickets for 26 runs. Fazalhaq Farooqi supported him well with figures of 3/33, putting the Indian batsmen under pressure at crucial times. Naveen ul Haq managed to take a wicket, but proved too costly, conceding 40 runs in his four overs. While Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad didn’t win, they managed to maintain a run rate while playing. Despite their efforts, India’s batting depth allowed them to post an impressive total.
Afghanistan’s struggle with the bat
Chasing 182 to win, Afghanistan faced a disciplined Indian bowling attack. Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave a glimmer of hope with a quick 11 off 8 balls, but wickets fell at regular intervals. Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, and Gulbadin Naib were unable to form a strong partnership, and Afghanistan found themselves in trouble early on. Azmatullah Omarzai’s 26 off 20 balls and Najibullah Zadran’s 19 off 17 balls were the only significant contributions in the middle. The lower order, including the experienced Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, failed to resist, and Afghanistan were bundled out for 134.
India’s Bowling Dominance
Indian bowlers did a good job to secure a 47-run victory. Jasprit Bumrah was a star with the ball, taking 3 wickets for just 7 runs in his 4 overs, showing why he is regarded as one of the best bowlers in T20 cricket. Arshdeep Singh accompanied him well, he also got 3 wickets for 36 runs. The spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja played their part effectively, with Kuldeep taking 2 wickets and Jadeja adding another to his tally. Axar Patel’s saving spell of 1/15 in 3 overs further strengthened the screens in Afghanistan’s batting line-up. A concerted effort by the Indian bowlers ensured that Afghanistan never came close to the target.