AFG vs IND 2nd T20I Results

5:31 PM IST On to the last one - Two games done. Two very dominant wins for India as they take the series home, leading 2-0. Afghanistan, to be very fair, haven't given a strong account of the tough, fighting team that they are so far. They have a lot to address before the series concludes with the 3rd and final T20I. It will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday, 17th September, and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 2 pm GMT (7.30 pm IST). As usual, our buildup begins well in advance. So do join us for that as well. For now, you can switch tabs and follow all the updates from the first T20I between England and Sri Lanka at Southampton. England have been asked to bat first, and the game is about to start in a few minutes. From here, though, we sign off. CIAO!

5:27 PM IST The captain of Afghanistan - Ibrahim Zadran admits that they struggled with the bat once again. Also accepts that they didn't do well in the Powerplay, both with the bat and the ball. Credits the Indian bowlers for putting them under a lot of pressure from the beginning. He goes on to reveal the substance of the conversations within the camp following the first game, centred on turning totals in the 150-160 range into scores upward of 200. The message, he says, is about bringing greater intent as a batting unit, something he feels has been missing in the series. For a side with ambitions of beating the best in the world, he stresses, that intent has to become non-negotiable. Adds that this is only Afghanistan's second game of the new era, and with so little cricket under their belt, he remains confident that more game time will bring the improvement they are after.

5:18 PM IST Deja vu batting blues - Afghanistan found themselves in familiar territory, slumping to 67/4 as the top order crumbled once again, with Gurbaz failing to trouble the scorers for a second straight game. Ibrahim and Rasooli showed some fight but couldn't turn their starts into something substantial, and with Omarzai unable to steady the ship this time, it was left to Nabi and Rashid Khan to salvage some respectability. Their late cameos hauled Afghanistan to 159. India's bowlers once again shared the load, though leaking 54 runs at the death will need addressing. Bumrah was the pick of the bunch for economy, while Nitish Kumar Reddy bounced back in style with a three-wicket haul after an expensive outing in the series opener. Bishnoi, stepping in for the injured Chakaravarthy, chipped in with a wicket in a tidy first outing as well. The sixth-bowler puzzle remains unsolved, though, with Dube again proving costly.

5:18 PM IST The victorious Indian skipper - Shreyas Iyer says that, looking at the last game, they were demanding a comprehensive win from themselves, and today was the right example of that. He admits it was a tough pill to swallow at the start of his captaincy journey, but says he has to maintain his equilibrium and not think too much about the past. Iyer adds that the more you embrace the situation, the better it gets. Asked if we can expect any changes in the next game, he says they want everyone to get used to the conditions and have some game time.

5:14 PM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Nitish Kumar Reddy takes home the award for his exceptional bowling display. He ended up with his best bowling figures in T20Is, recording 3/24 in 3 overs. Reddy says his body feels good and he is back at a great level physically. He credits the hard work put in at the Centre of Excellence and the recovery process for helping him get back to this level. Nitish says he has always wanted to become a genuine all-rounder and wanted to develop his pace bowling as part of that. He acknowledges there are pros and cons to bowling pace, but says he is working on his fitness and recovery to ensure he does not get injured frequently. Reddy says it is all about believing in yourself. He adds that cricket is a funny game, and anything can change at any moment.

5:10 PM IST Got there with ease - Barring Rashid, who accounted for all three Indian wickets, none of the other bowlers offered much support, failing to even manufacture half-chances along the way. Afghanistan had actually frontloaded their bowling with spin, but neither Mujeeb nor Nabi could conjure early wickets, and Farooqi was introduced far too late, by which point the job was already done. Due to the onslaught from the openers, the required run rate was never really a worry for India, as Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma got together to get the job done with no further hiccups. Kishan, who is in his purple patch, entertained with a few lusty blows, and that was more than enough.