India posted 260/5 after batting first and chased down Afghanistan's 167 with ease to win the dead rubber 3-0 in Delhi.
India capped a dominant three-match T20I series with a convincing victory in the third and final game at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium, completing a 3-0 sweep over Afghanistan on Thursday. With the series already sealed after two straight seven-wicket wins, the dead rubber became a stage for India's batters to put on a show—none more so than Abhishek Sharma, who smashed the fastest T20I century by an Indian.outlookindia+1
India bat first, post 260/5
After winning the toss, Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran elected to field, handing India the chance to bat first on a surface that had favoured chasing in the first two games. India made one change to their lineup, bringing in pacer Yash Thakur for Arshdeep Singh, while Afghanistan handed a debut to wicketkeeper-batter Noor ul Rahman and added an extra seamer in Abdollah Ahmadzai.espn+1
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson tore into the Afghan attack from the outset. Abhishek raced to a 30-ball hundred—the quickest by an Indian in T20Is, surpassing Rohit Sharma's 35-ball effort in 2017—and became the first batter in T20I history to record two centuries in under 40 balls. He reached the milestone with 10 sixes and nine boundaries as India stormed to 132/0 in just 8.3 overs.outlookindia+1
Abhishek eventually fell for 108 off 34 balls to Rashid Khan in the 10th over, but the onslaught had already set the tone. India finished on 260/5 in their 20 overs, a total built on aggressive batting throughout the innings.outlookindia+1
Afghanistan restricted to 167; India cruise home
In reply, Afghanistan's top order again struggled to build momentum against India's varied attack. Despite flashes of resistance in the middle order, they could only manage 167 in their 20 overs, leaving them with a steep chase.outlookindia+1
India's reply was never in doubt. The openers laid a solid foundation, and the required rate never became a concern as India glided to the target with wickets in hand to seal a comprehensive win and a 3-0 series result.outlookindia
Records and milestones
Abhishek Sharma's innings was the headline act. His 30-ball century is also the fastest hundred by a batter against a Test-playing nation in T20Is, and only the third-fastest overall in the format's history. It was his third T20I hundred, making him just the fourth Indian man to reach three or more centuries in the format.indiatoday
Sanju Samson also joined the milestone club during the innings, reaching 9,000 runs in T20 cricket as he contributed to the explosive start alongside Abhishek.outlookindia
What it means
The result underlines India's superiority across all departments in this short series, with their batting depth and bowling variety proving too much for Afghanistan. For Afghanistan, the tour highlighted recurring issues at the top of the order and an over-reliance on spin in conditions where India's batters were able to neutralize it.outlookindia+1
With the series concluded, attention will shift to India's next assignments, while Afghanistan will look to regroup and address their top-order fragility ahead of future T20I challenges.outlookindia
KEY FACTS:
● Abhishek Sharma scored a 30-ball 108, the fastest T20I century by an Indian and the fastest hundred against a Test-playing nation.indiatoday
● India posted 260/5 batting first, then bowled Afghanistan out for 167 to win the third T20I and complete a 3-0 series sweep.outlookindia
● Abhishek became the first batter in T20I history to hit two centuries in under 40 balls; it was his third T20I hundred.indiatoday
SOURCES:
● ESPNcricinfo – Match report and scorecard: https://www.espn.in/cricket/series/24677/report/1549588/india-vs-afghanistan-3rd-t20i-24677espn
● India Today – Abhishek Sharma's 30-ball century record: https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/sports/cricket/story/abhishek-sharma-fastest-t20i-hundred-indian-rohit-sharma-record-afg-vs-ind-2997087-2026-09-17indiatoday
● Outlook India – Live blog and match updates: https://www.outlookindia.com/amp/story/sports/cricket/india-vs-afghanistan-live-score-3rd-t20i-2026-ind-v-afg-highlights-updates-delhioutlookindia
● ANI – Second T20I report (series context): https://www.aninews.in/news/sports/cricket/nitish-reddy-sanju-samson-shine-as-india-beat-afghanistan-by-7-wickets-in-2nd-t20i-clinch-series20260915225737aninews
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