India were struggling at 90/4 vs Afghanistan when Suryakumar Yadav’s fearless batting on the challenging surface of the Kensington Oval changed the game for the Men in Blue. India’s commanding 47-run win over Afghanistan in their opening Super 8 fixture of the T20 World Cup on Thursday has once again solidified India’s track record against Afghanistan both in the T20 Worl Cup as well as T20Is. Rashid Khan (3/26) improved his record against India, but Suryakumar’s 53 off 28 balls helped India reach 181 for 8 after choosing to bat on a difficult pitch. The win also confirms the stat at Kensington Oval that the team batting first wins the match.
Afghanistan never got into the chase and were bowled out for 134 in 20 overs. Poor shot selection contributed to their downfall, extending their winless run against India. Jasprit Bumrah (3/7), Arshdeep Singh (3/36) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/32), playing his first game of the tournament, were exceptional.
India’s next Super 8 match against Bangladesh will be in Antigua on Saturday. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (11) showed early intent but was caught behind off Bumrah in the second over. Hazratullah Zazai, replacing the injured Mujeeb Zadran, was Bumrah’s next victim, caught by Ravindra Jadeja. Kuldeep dismissed Gulbadin Naib (17) with a googly in the 11th over, while Azmatullah Omarzai (26) was Afghanistan’s top scorer.
Earlier, Suryakumar found boundaries at will on a difficult track. Contributions from Rishabh Pant (20 off 11) and Hardik Pandya (32 off 24) also boosted the total. Virat Kohli (24) got into double digits for the first time in the tournament but was dismissed just as he was settling in. Rashid put pressure on India early, taking key wickets including Pant and Kohli.
India’s innings saw Rohit Sharma (8) fall early to Fazalhaq Farooqi (3/33). Virat Kohli did put some defence with his first six of the tournament coming at the Kensington Oval but it was not enough. He was sent back by rashid Khan for just 24 runs. But this was tad better in comparison with teh group stage performance. Rashid struck immediately after the Powerplay, removing Pant and later dismissing Shivam Dube (10). Suryakumar’s aggressive play against Rashid included several sweeps, and his fifty came with big hits off Farooqi. After Suryakumar’s departure, Hardik Pandya hit a couple of sixes, including a powerful straight hit off Noor Ahmed.
In the end, India’s highest total at Kensington Oval proved unassailable.