In a thrilling third T20 International, India and Afghanistan ended in a tie with both teams scoring 212. The match, featuring two intense super overs, saw India emerging victorious at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
Chasing India’s 212, Afghanistan matched the score, leading to a super over showdown. In the first super over, both teams scored 16 runs, extending the match further. However, in the second super over, Afghanistan could not meet the 12-run target set by India, as Ravi Bishnoi clinched the required two wickets for Rohit Sharma’s side.
Rohit Sharma’s fifth T20 century and Rinku Singh’s second fifty were the highlights of India’s innings, taking them to 212/4 in 20 overs. Sharma’s unbeaten 121 off 69 balls and Singh’s 69 off 39 deliveries helped India recover from an early slump of 22 for four in the fifth over.
For Afghanistan, Gulbadin Naib led the charge with a 23-ball 55, but the team fell short in the super overs.
Afghanistan’s Fareed Ahmad Malik was the standout bowler, claiming impressive figures of 3/20. He dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, and Sanju Samson, with both Kohli and Samson dismissed for golden ducks.
India, having won all previous encounters with Afghanistan in T20 World Cups, the Asia Cup, and bilateral series, continued their winning streak.
The pitch at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, known for favoring batters, lived up to its reputation. The weather was favorable, with no rain forecast and temperatures around 20.8 degrees Celsius.
Highlights of the match included a series of wickets by Afghanistan, a 150-run partnership between Sharma and Singh, and a string of successful strikes by India’s bowlers.
