India did not just win a cricket match on Thursday night. They turned the Arun Jaitley Stadium into a highlight reel.
Chasing nothing but a statement, Shreyas Iyer’s side posted 221 for 7 and then dismantled Afghanistan for 94 in 14.1 overs to win the third T20I by 127 runs and seal the Friendship Cup 3-0.
The night belonged to Abhishek Sharma. The left-handed opener reached his century in just 30 balls — the fastest T20I hundred by a batter from a Full Member nation and the quickest ever by an Indian, beating Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball record from 2017. He finished with 108 off 34 deliveries, including nine fours and 11 sixes, at a strike rate of 317.65.
By the time Rashid Khan finally had him caught behind in the 10th over, India were already 142 for 1. Abhishek had scored more than three-quarters of those runs. Sanju Samson added a composed 50, and even after a late wobble, 221 proved far too many.
Afghanistan’s chase never recovered. Nitish Kumar Reddy (3/25) and Ravi Bishnoi (3/26) shared six wickets as the batting order collapsed. Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with 25. The innings ended when Bishnoi had Abdullah Ahmadzai caught in the deep.
The result completed a one-sided series. India had already won the first two games by seven wickets each. Abhishek finished as the leading run-scorer with 229 runs across three innings.
For India, the week in Delhi was more than a trophy presentation. It was a reminder of the depth and firepower that still sits at the top of the T20 World Cup champions’ order. For Afghanistan, it was a difficult home series in name only — all three matches were played in New Delhi — and a reminder of how far the gap still is when India bat like this.
The Friendship Cup now sits with India. The memories, though, belong to one blistering half-hour of hitting that cricket fans will replay for years.
