Afghanistan vs India Live Score: India in Afghanistan, 3 T20I Series, 2026 Live Updates and Ball-By-Ball Commentary

PITCH REPORT - Murali Kartik is pitchside with his assessment. He mentions that winning the toss and chasing is the right call, and informs that surface number 4 will be used for this match, on which he details that the average first-inning score is 180. Closely observes the surface and mentions it is pretty dry. Sanjay joins him and adds that it looks a bit damp, and it seems very similar to the surface that was used in the previous game, but Kartik adds that it is a bit drier as he runs his hands on the pitch

India (Playing XI) - Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

Afghanistan (Playing XI) - Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran (C), Sediqullah Atal, Gulbadin Naib, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Fazalhaq Farooqi.

The skipper of Afghanistan - Ibrahim Zadran says that they would have bowled first as well. Mentions the focus will now be on executing better with the bat this time around.

The captain of India - Shreyas says calling Tails at the toss has been lucky for him in winning the toss.

TOSS - The coin is about to go up, and out in the middle are Ibrahim Zadran and Shreyas Iyer.

Tuesday treat - It indeed is, with the amount of cricketing action lined up today. Over in Harare, Australia and Zimbabwe are in action in the first ODI, with the Chevrons facing an uphill battle in a chase of 295. Today also marks the start of the T20I series between England and Sri Lanka, with the first of 3 games scheduled to take place tonight in Southampton. The first ball is due at 5.30 pm GMT (11 pm IST), so there is plenty of cricket to keep us company through the day.

Need more with the bat - Afghanistan will be looking for a much better showing on the batting front. On a surface as good as the one we saw the other night, 156 was never going to be enough.

Bowling puzzle - India were pretty tidy with the ball for most of the opener, but they have a couple of things to think about. With Hardik Pandya not around, they already had a gap to fill in the 5th bowling option, and with Varun Chakaravarthy also ruled out for the rest of the series after experiencing discomfort in his side during that opening game, they have another spot to fill.

Time for Round 2 - Well, round one was pretty one-sided, wasn't it? Afghanistan had the odd punch or two, but for the most part, India were firmly in control and made light work of the chase to take the lead in the series.

... MATCH DAY ...

Sealing the series or sparking a comeback - The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi sets the stage once again as India and Afghanistan lock horns in the second match of the three-game T20 series. India enter Tuesday evening riding high on confidence after dismantling Afghanistan by seven wickets in the series opener, completing the chase with more than six overs to spare. For Shreyas Iyer and his side, victory here puts the series in the bag with a match remaining, reinforcing their white-ball rhythm before they head to Japan for the Asian Games. For Afghanistan, the designated hosts of this series despite playing on Indian turf, Tuesday is purely about survival. Falling 0-1 behind leaves them with no room for error, and they must quickly wipe away the memories of Sunday night to push the series into a deciding third fixture. The talent is undoubtedly there, but competing against a rampant Indian side requires a complete twenty-over performance rather than sporadic bursts of individual brilliance. The Abhishek hurricane - If there was one defining takeaway from the first game, it was the sheer destruction caused by Abhishek Sharma. Walking out to chase a modest 157, Abhishek made a mockery of the bowling attack by hammering 82 off just 32 deliveries, studded with seven boundaries and seven towering sixes. His ability to clear the infield with ease and take down world-class spin put the contest to bed inside the powerplay itself. Ishan Kishan played his part to perfection with an assured 42 off 33 balls, stitching together a 121-run partnership for the second wicket that completely shut the door on the opposition. Even though Sanju Samson fell cheaply for 10 after mistiming a pull, India's batting depth looked ominous. Middle-order batters like Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Shivam Dube barely broke a sweat in the middle, underlining the luxury of firepower at India's disposal. Top order tremors - Afghanistan's biggest headache heading into the second game remains their vulnerability at the top of the order. Sunday night was a harsh reminder of how quickly a contest can slip away when early wickets tumble. They slumped to 43 for 5 inside seven overs, partly through fiery Indian bowling and partly through self-inflicted wounds. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was removed on the second legal delivery of the match for a duck, while skipper Ibrahim Zadran was caught in a disastrous mix-up with Sediqullah Atal and run out for 11. It took a counter-attacking rescue effort from Azmatullah Omarzai and seasoned campaigner Mohammad Nabi to drag Afghanistan to a competitive 156 for 8. Omarzai was sublime, scoring an unbeaten 64 off 44 balls with four boundaries and four sixes, while Nabi provided crucial support with 33 off 27 deliveries in an 83-run stand. However, Afghanistan cannot afford to start from behind in every game. Their top-order batters must dig in during the opening overs to give their big hitters a solid platform. Pace punch and spin control - India's bowling department clicked seamlessly in the opening fixture. Jasprit Bumrah made an immediate statement on his return from an injury layoff, extracting sharp bounce to dismiss Gurbaz right away. Arshdeep Singh was the wrecker-in-chief, using his subtle variations and pinpoint yorkers to return exceptional figures of 3 for 19 in his four overs. Complementing the seamers, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy kept a stranglehold through the middle overs, conceding under seven an over. On the other side, Afghanistan's bowling attack needs an urgent turnaround. Fazalhaq Farooqi leaked 38 runs in his two overs, while star spinner Rashid Khan endured a rare off day, conceding 34 runs in 3.4 overs without a breakthrough. Spin is traditionally Afghanistan's trump card, and if they are to level the series, Rashid, Noor Ahmad, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman must find a way to break partnerships and restrict India's aggressive strokeplay. Team form (Last 5 completed T20Is, recent first) - IND - WWWWL | AFG - LWWLL. What to expect at the Arun Jaitley Stadium? The surface in Delhi has transformed into one of the highest scoring tracks in recent times, offering true bounce and small square boundaries that encourage attacking cricket. While seamers will get a bit of early movement under the floodlights with the new ball, batters can play through the line with confidence once they get their eye in. Dew is also likely to play a role later in the evening, making grip difficult for the bowlers and turning chasing into the preferred tactic for both captains at the toss. India hold the momentum and will look to wrap up the series with another authoritative display. Afghanistan have shown time and again that they can punch above their weight, but they need their established stars to rise to the occasion. If Gurbaz and Rashid can deliver their trademark magic, fans in Delhi could be in for a much tighter battle.