2nd T20I: Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal hammer Afghanistan in Indore as India win series

Indore, India

Shivam Dube was on fire at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, smashing an unbeaten 63 and picking a wicket, inspiring India to an easy six-wicket win in the second T20I against Afghanistan. With this, India clinched the T20I series, with the final game scheduled on January 24 in Bengaluru. Yashasvi Jaiswal also smashed a fifty, while Arshdeep bagged three wickets on a batting paradise.

Afghanistan batted first, with openers trying to put in the fifth gear from the word go. After Ravi Bishnoi accounted for Gurbaz on 14, Gulbadin Naib took the onus on himself and went about his business in some style. India picked two wickets in the span of two overs but couldn’t put brakes on the all-rounder’s innings as he completed his fifty (57 off 35 balls).

Though the middle order provided some assistance, with everyone contributing around 20-odd, India pulled the momentum back during the death overs.

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Arshdeep Singh was the star, picking three wickets in the end as the hosts wrapped up Afghanistan’s innings on 172 in 20 overs.

Dube on song in Indore

In the absence of the ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya, left-handed batter Shivam Dube hogged all the limelight with yet another unbeaten fifty in this series. After Rohit Sharma got out on a first-ball duck, clean bowled by seamer Farooqi, Virat Kohli walked out to bat in a T20I game for the first time since the 2022 T20 World Cup semis loss.

The India great hammered the new ball to all parts of the ground, hitting five fours during his 16-ball 29-run stay at the crease. Although by then, he had helped India cross 60-run-mark inside the Powerplay.

Walked in next was the superstar of the game, Shivam Dube. 

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The lanky all-rounder began from where he had left, bossing the bowlers on his terms. Alongside young Yashasvi Jaiswal, who also scored a fifty (68 off 34 balls), Dube hammered Mohammad Nabi for three massive sixes, putting India in the driver’s seat.

In no time, he notched up his quickest T20I fifty in just 22 balls. 

While Dube stood his ground, India lost Jaiswal and keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma quickly. 

Rinku Singh hit a boundary, and with the final touches coming off Dube’s pads, India won the match with six wickets in hand.