Friendship Cup 2026: A Dominant 3–0 Sweep over Afghanistan Showcases India’s T20I Strength. They won 3rd and final T20I game by 127 runs and won the series 3-0 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. Now I will share the details of this game in my way.
3rd T20I (India Vs Afghanistan)
Game Date: 17th September 2026
Details: Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran won the toss and elected to field first in the 3rd and final T20I game against Team India at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. One change for Indian team and Yash Thakur is playing today in the place of Arshdeep Singh.
🚨 Toss Update 🚨
Afghanistan won the toss and elected to field in the 3⃣rd and final T20I
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Zixki4RhPt#TeamIndia | #AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/C3beLB7pZD
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 17, 2026
A look at #TeamIndia's Playing XI 🙌
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Zixki4RhPt#AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/kLIhY4VXrX
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 17, 2026
Team India scored 221/7 in their 20 overs after batting first. India have posted a formidable total against Afghanistan in the third and final T20I of the series, and what a knock by Abhishek Sharma that was! The explosive opener tore Afghanistan’s bowlers apart, smashing them all around the park from the outset. His brutal assault powered India to 100 runs in the powerplay, with the carnage continuing even after the fielding restrictions were lifted. Abhishek then etched his name in the record books, smashing the fastest T20I century among players from Test-playing nations, reaching the milestone within 30 balls. Afghanistan were left reeling after an extraordinary onslaught from the flamboyant opener. Sanju Samson also made a valuable contribution, bringing up his second consecutive fifty of the series. In short, it was a dominant display from India’s openers. But what followed was a disappointing collapse from the rest of India’s batters. Afghanistan’s bowlers fought back with regular wickets, denying India the big finish they seemed destined for. After looking set for 250-plus at one stage, India eventually ended on 221 as wickets kept tumbling. Abhishek Sharma scored 108 runs of 34 balls and Sanju Samson scored 50 runs in 35 balls. For Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai picked 2 wickets for 27 runs in his 3 overs.
Innings Break!
A blistering opening stand propels #TeamIndia to 2⃣2⃣1⃣ 🎯
Our defence begins 🔜
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/Zixki4RhPt#AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/5nj2hbpL5p
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 17, 2026
𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁. 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗔𝗯𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗸 🇮🇳
One word for that record knock 👇
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Zixki4RhPt#TeamIndia | #AFGvIND | @OfficialAbhi04 pic.twitter.com/VcO7UHQ9KR
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 17, 2026
Afghanistan unable to chase the target and bowled out for just 94 runs in 14.1 overs and lost the game by 127 runs and series by 0-3. The demolition act is completed as India clean-sweep Afghanistan 3-0. Chasing a daunting total was always tough for Afghans, and they lost wickets at regular intervals, which didn’t help the cause. The Indian bowlers hunted as a group as they didn’t let the home team to get away with the chase, and they were bundled out for 92 runs. But it was Abhishek Sharma, who then stole the show today with a record-breaking ton, which blew away the home team. Sanju gave him good company with a fifty, but India lost the momentum in the middle and easily they could have added few more runs. Afghanistan started the chase badly losing 3 wickets inside two overs. Nitish Reddy and Ravi Bishnoi ended up taking 3 wickets as India romped home comfortably. Skipper Ibrahim Zadran scored 25 runs of 16 balls and Azmatullah Omarzai score 17 runs of 13 balls. For Team India, Nitish Reddy & Ravi Bishnoi picked 3 wickets each.
India seal an emphatic 3-0 series sweep against Afghanistan 👌
📝: https://t.co/4nkxhRMAUy pic.twitter.com/8uFr4wbRnj
— ICC (@ICC) September 17, 2026
IND: 221/7 in 20 overs
AFG: 94 in 14.1 overs
Result: India won by 127 runs
Series Result: India won by 3-0
Man of the Match: Abhishek Sharma
Man of the Series: Abhishek Sharma
As clinical and commanding as it gets 🇮🇳#TeamIndia with a massive 1️⃣2️⃣7️⃣-run victory to clinch the Friendship Cup 3️⃣-0️⃣ 🏆
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/Zixki4RhPt#AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/ZDY4ZzdaxY
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 17, 2026
The night belongs to Abhishek Sharma ✨
The #TeamIndia opener is the Player of the Match for his record-breaking knock 👏
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/Zixki4RhPt#AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/2w0hwMyopB
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 17, 2026
Stats
– Abhishek Sharma has a strike rate of 191.27 in overs 1-6 in T20 cricket since 2024. The next best with a 750-ball cut-off is Travis Head (176.85)
– Since 2025, Tilak Varma has an SR of 154.33 against pace in all T20s. Meanwhile, against spin has he an SR of only 116.97
– Most T20I fifties scored in 20 balls or fewer
6 – Abhishek Sharma
3 – Yuvraj Singh
3 – Colin Munro
3 – Adil Butt
3 – Finn Allen
3 – Dasun Shanaka
– Fastest T20I fifties for India (by balls faced)
12 – Yuvraj Singh vs ENG, Durban, 2007
14 – Abhishek Sharma vs NZ, Guwahati, 2026
15 – Shivam Dube vs NZ, Visakhapatnam, 2026
16 – Hardik Pandya vs SA, Ahmedabad, 2025
16 – Abhishek Sharma vs AFG, Delhi, 2026
17 – Abhishek Sharma vs ENG, Mumbai WS, 2025
– Highest individual scores in Overs 1-6 in Men’s T20Is.
76*(22) – Abhishek Sharma (IND) vs AFG, Delhi, 2026
74*(25) – Kuldeep Gholiya (Portugal) vs Malta, Gibraltar, 2023
73*(22) – Travis Head (AUS) vs SCOT, Edinburgh, 2024
68*(21) – Wintley Burton (SER) vs BUL, Sofia, 2022
68*(28) – George Munsey (SCOT) vs Austria, Edinburgh, 2023
– 100-plus totals Overs 1-6 in Men’s T20Is
116/0 – Romania vs Serbia, Sofia, 2021
113/1 – Australia vs Scotland, Edinburgh, 2024
103/1 – Zimbabwe vs Gambia, Nairobi (RSC), 2024
102/0 – South Africa vs West Indies, Centurion, 2023
100/0 – England vs South Africa, Old Trafford, 2025
100/0 – India vs Afghanistan, Delhi, 2026
*where data available
India’s previous best: 95/1 vs ENG, Mumbai WS, 2025
– Fastest T20I hundreds
27 – Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) vs Cyprus, Episkopi, 2024
29 – Muhammad Fahad (Turkey) vs Bulgaria, Sofia, 2025
30 – Abhishek Sharma (India) vs Afghanistan, Delhi, 2026
33 – Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (Namibia) vs Nepal, Kirtipur, 2024
33 – Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) vs Gambia, Nairobi (Ruaraka), 2024
33 – Finn Allen (New Zealand) vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026
India’s previous fastest: Rohit Sharma (35 balls) vs Sri Lanka, Indore, 2017
– Fastest T20I hundreds (FM teams)
30 – Abhishek Sharma (India) vs Afghanistan, Delhi, 2026
33 – Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) vs Gambia, Nairobi (Ruaraka), 2024
33 – Finn Allen (New Zealand) vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026
35 – David Miller (South Africa) vs Bangladesh, Potchefstroom, 2017
35 – Rohit Sharma (India) vs Sri Lanka, Indore, 2017
– Most sixes for India in a T20I innings
13 – Abhishek Sharma vs ENG, Mumbai WS, 2025
11 – Abhishek Sharma vs AFG, Delhi, 2026
10 – Rohit Sharma vs SL, Indore, 2017
10 – Sanju Samson vs SA, Durban, 2024
10 – Tilak Varma vs SA, Johannesburg, 2024
10 – Ishan Kishan vs NZ, Thiruvananthapuram, 2026
– India batters with most sixes in a calendar year in all T20s (balls/six)
108 – Abhishek Sharma in 2025 (7.35)
96 – Abhishek Sharma in 2026 (6.64)
87 – Abhishek Sharma in 2024 (6.54)
86 – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in 2026 (4.99)
85 – Suryakumar Yadav in 2022 (10.05)
– Highest T20I totals vs Afghanistan
225/7 – Ireland, Abu Dhabi, 2013
221/7 – India, Delhi, 2026
218/5 – West Indies, Gros Islet, 2024
212/2 – India, Dubai, 2022
212/4 – India, Bengaluru, 2024
210/2 – India, Abu Dhabi, 2021
– Most 200-plus totals in Men’s T20Is
53 – India
31 – South Africa
29 – England
28 – New Zealand
26 – West Indies
25 – Australia
(The next most in all Men’s T20s is 46 by RCB)
– Most hundreds in all T20s by India players
10 – Virat Kohli
10 – Abhishek Sharma
8 – KL Rahul
8 – Sanju Samson
8 – Rohit Sharma
– Highest % of runs scored in boundaries in a T20I hundred
94.44% (102/108) – Abhishek Sharma (IND) vs AFG, Delhi, 2026
93.33% (112/120) – Muhammad Fahad (TUR) vs BGR), Sofia, 2025
91.67% (132/144*) – Sahil Chauhan (EST) vs CYP, Episkopi, 2024
91.53% (108/118) – Rohit Sharma (IND) vs SL, Indore, 2017
91.09% (92/101) – Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (NAM) vs NEP, Kirtipur, 2024
– This is the 10th instance that India have used four different bowlers in first four overs of a T20I innings. The only previous such instance since January 2024 had come in the T20 WC 2026 final in Ahmedabad – Arshdeep, Hardik, Axar, Bumrah in that order.
– Highest powerplay aggregates in T20Is in India
172/3 – ENG vs SA, Wankhede, T20 WC 2016
163/4 – IND vs ENG, Wankhede, T20 WC 2026 SF
154/2 – AFG vs IRE, Greater Noida, 2017
151/4 – IND vs AFG, Delhi, 2026
144/3 – IND vs NZ, Ahmedabad, T20 WC 2026 Final
– Winning by 100 or more runs in Men’s T20Is most often
10 – Canada, India
9 – Austria
8 – Zimbabwe, Nepal, Japan, Malaysia, Uganda
6 – Spain, Tanzania, Pakistan, England, Denmark
5 – P.N.G.
(full-member teams are marked in bold)
– 94 all-out is Afghanistan’s lowest total in T20Is against India. Previous lowest: 111/8 in Dubai in Asia Cup 2022.
– Highest defeat margins for AFG in T20Is
127 runs vs IND, Delhi, 2026
116 runs vs ENG, Colombo (RPS), 2012
104 runs vs WI, Gros Islet, 2024
101 runs vs IND, Dubai, 2022
75 runs vs PAK, Sharjah, 2025
3️⃣ Matches
2️⃣2️⃣9️⃣ Runs
7️⃣6️⃣.3️⃣3️⃣ Average
2️⃣6️⃣9️⃣.4️⃣1️⃣ Strike-rateAbhishek Sharma is adjudged the Player of the Series for his incredible consistency 🫡🔝
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/Zixki4RhPt#TeamIndia | #AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/2g2D8re859
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 17, 2026
𝗪.𝗜.𝗡.𝗡.𝗘.𝗥.𝗦 🏆#TeamIndia celebrate an emphatic series victory in the Friendship Cup 🥳#AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/GSPVCRvrdP
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 17, 2026
That’s all from 3rd and final T20I game of the T20I Series and hope you all will like this information. For more updates visit my page on Facebook Durgesh Tiwary’s View and website Cricket Movie Website