Mohali, India: Under the chilly Punjab sky, Shivam Dube delivered a masterclass in calculated aggression, anchoring India’s chase with an unbeaten 60 off 40 balls to secure a comfortable six-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the first T20I of the three-match series. With this win, India takes a crucial 1-0 lead in the series.
Chasing Afghanistan’s modest total of 158/5, India lost skipper Rohit Sharma early, raising concerns about the middle order’s stability. However, Dube entered the scene, partnering Shubman Gill and Tilak Verma to steadily chip away at the target. The trio brought up crucial partnerships, ensuring the chase never slipped out of India’s grasp.
Shubman Gill departed after a promising 23, while Verma contributed a well-paced 26. But it was Dube who held the innings together, finding the boundaries at regular intervals and rotating the strike smartly. His knock was a mix of power and finesse, demonstrating a maturity beyond his years.
“My role was to stay out there and guide the chase,” Dube said after the match. “I knew if I stayed till the end, we could win it. The pitch wasn’t easy initially, but it got better as the innings progressed.”
Rinku Singh provided valuable support in the later stages, finishing unbeaten on 16. While the chase wasn’t always a cakewalk, the Indian batsmen never looked truly troubled. Credit must also go to Afghanistan’s bowlers, who kept things tight and picked up wickets at regular intervals. Mujeeb Ur Rahman was the pick of the bowlers, grabbing two wickets for 21 runs. Dube was the man of the match in Mohali T20 cricket match.
Earlier, Afghanistan posted a decent total of 158/5 thanks to a late flourish from Mohammad Nabi, who smashed a quickfire 42 off 27 balls. Nabi found support from Ibrahim Zadran (25) and Azmatullah Omarzai (29), but the lack of a substantial partnership towards the middle overs prevented them from reaching a more threatening score.
Axar Patel was the most successful bowler for India, claiming 2/23, while Mukesh Kumar also chipped in with two wickets.
Key Updates of The Match:
* Shivam Dube’s unbeaten 60 off 40 balls steered India’s chase.
* India chased down Afghanistan’s total of 158/5 with 15 balls and six wickets remaining.
* Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar shared four wickets between them for India.
* Mohammad Nabi top-scored for Afghanistan with 42 off 27 balls.
* India leads the three-match series 1-0.
IND vs AFG T20 Next Match:
The second T20I of the series will be played in Lucknow on January 14th. With early momentum in their hands, India will look to seal the series, while Afghanistan will be desperate to bounce back and level the score.
