Azmatullah Omarzai's unbeaten 64 off 44 balls single-handedly dragged Afghanistan from the brink of a batting disaster to a competitive 156/8 against India in the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi, on Sunday, 13 September 2026. The seam-bowling all-rounder's late counter-attack rescued the 'hosts' after they had crumbled to 43/5 in just seven overs under sustained pressure from the Indian pace attack.

Early Collapse Sets the Tone

India, having won the toss and elected to bowl, made an instant statement through Jasprit Bumrah on his return to international cricket. Bumrah extracted steep bounce to force a gloved catch off Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in the very first over, with the ball flying to Abhishek Sharma at first slip. Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal offered brief resistance before the innings unravelled further.

Zadran was run out after a sharp throw from Ishan Kishan left him short of his crease, while Arshdeep Singh accounted for Atal, whose mis-timed stroke was pouched comfortably at gully. Spin was introduced early, and it paid dividends: Axar Patel removed Gulbadin Naib to point, while Varun Chakaravarthy, returning to the international fold, rattled the leg stump of Darwish Rasooli with a skidding delivery in his very first over.

Omarzai-Nabi Partnership Revives Afghanistan

With Afghanistan tottering at 43/5, veteran Mohammad Nabi joined Omarzai in the middle and the pair constructed a crucial 83-run partnership off just 56 balls. Nabi contributed a brisk 33 off 27 balls, including a magnificent straight six off the Indian seam bowlers, as the duo repeatedly targeted part-time options Nitish Kumar Reddy and Abhishek Sharma.

Nabi's innings ended when a clever slower delivery from Arshdeep Singh crashed through his defences, leaving his stumps in disarray. Wickets continued to fall around Omarzai — Rashid Khan was removed by Arshdeep, and Noor Ahmad was run out by a sharp direct hit from Shreyas Iyer in the 19th over.

Omarzai Takes Charge in the Final Over

After bringing up his fifty off just 39 balls, Omarzai shifted into an altogether higher gear in the final over bowled by Shivam Dube, smashing two massive sixes over long-on and deep extra cover. Mujeeb Ur Rahman then took successive boundaries off Dube to push Afghanistan past the 150-run mark — a target that had seemed a distant dream just thirteen overs earlier. Omarzai finished on an unbeaten 64, laced with four boundaries and four sixes.

India's Bowling Report Card

Arshdeep Singh was India's standout performer with exceptional figures of 3 wickets for 19 runs. Bumrah chipped in with 1 for 26, while both Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy took a wicket each — Chakaravarthy's returns of 1 for 16 on his comeback were particularly impressive. The one concern for the Indian camp was the fifth-bowling combination of Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, and Dube, who collectively conceded 59 runs at a steep economy rate of 14.75 — leakage that Afghanistan's lower order was able to fully exploit.

Brief Scores and What Comes Next

Afghanistan 156/8 in 20 overs (Azmatullah Omarzai 64 not out, Mohammad Nabi 33; Arshdeep Singh 3-19, Varun Chakaravarthy 1-16) against India. With the Indian batting lineup still to come, this match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium is beautifully poised — a total of 157 is by no means safe, but Afghanistan will draw confidence from their recovery and the profligacy of India's fifth-bowling options.