Reddy’s First-Ball Mastery Seals Series Lead for India

Nitish Kumar Reddy delivered a rare feat of precision bowling on Tuesday, striking with the first ball of each of his first three overs to dismantle Afghanistan’s innings and power India to a seven-wicket victory in the second T20I.

Series victory sealed 🔒

Superb from start to finish as #TeamIndia make it 2️⃣-0️⃣ in the Friendship Cup 🇮🇳👏

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/96e4nhbYLf#AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/zvWVii5nBC

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 15, 2026

The all-rounder finished with 3 for 24, his triple strike forming the centrepiece of a disciplined Indian bowling effort that restricted Afghanistan to 159 for 8 after Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to field.

Jasprit Bumrah set the tone with a maiden over to begin proceedings. Afghanistan never recovered from Reddy’s interventions, which came at intervals designed to break any momentum the visitors attempted to build. The pattern of losing a wicket to the very first delivery of an over placed relentless pressure on the Afghan batting order.

Samson and Sharma Blitz the Chase

A target of 160 required a measured response, but Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma offered something far more emphatic. The opening pair raced to 88 runs, with Sharma’s 39 from just 19 deliveries setting a blistering tempo. His strike rate of 205.26 left Afghanistan’s bowlers with no room to settle.

Rashid Khan provided a measure of resistance with three wickets, briefly interrupting India’s march. But the required rate never became a concern. India crossed the line at 163 for 3 in 14.5 overs, with more than five overs to spare.

Reddy Takes the Honours

Reddy’s contribution with the ball earned him player of the match recognition. His ability to strike immediately upon entering an over is a quality that disrupts batting rhythms in a format where momentum shifts are decisive. Afghanistan’s inability to build partnerships stemmed directly from the regularity of his breakthroughs.

The victory extends India’s winning run under Iyer’s captaincy and gives the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. The finale is scheduled for Thursday, where India will seek a clean sweep and Afghanistan will search for a response to a bowling attack that has thus far found answers at every turn.

For Afghanistan, the challenge is clear. Their batting order must find a way to absorb early pressure without losing wickets in clusters, particularly against a bowler who has mastered the art of the first-ball strike.

                                               

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