Shreyas Iyer praises bowling brilliance as India breezes past Afghanistan

After a tense opening spell, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer stood before the media and spoke about the “synergy” that drove his side to a seven‑wicket win over Afghanistan in Delhi. He singled out the seamers – Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy – for turning the early wobble into a disciplined defence.

“Bumrah gave us that early spark,” Iyer said, recalling Bumrah’s tidy 1/26 from four overs. “His economy set the tone for the others. Arshdeep followed up brilliantly with 3/19, and both Axar and Varun kept the pressure on. It was a collective effort, a real team thing.”

The bowlers did their part, bundling Afghanistan to 156/8, with a fighting 64‑not‑out from Azmatullah Omarzai as the lone resistance. Arshdeep’s three wickets and economy of 5.75 made him the standout, while Patel and Chakravarthy added crucial middle‑over breakthroughs.

With the ball in hand, India’s chase turned into a fireworks display thanks to an explosive 121‑run stand between Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Sharma smashed 82 off just 32 balls – seven fours and seven sixes – while Kishan contributed a calm 42 off 33, guiding the team to the target in just 13.4 overs.

Iyer also offered a gentle word on Shivam Dube’s costly final over, which leaked 21 runs. “It was a tough call,” the skipper admitted. “He had to bowl the 20th over on a pitch that behaved oddly. He’ll review it, learn, and bounce back.”

The win not only gives India a 1‑0 lead in the three‑match series but also eases the pressure on Iyer, who has faced criticism after early defeats to Ireland and England. A solid performance on home soil, coupled with a convincing victory over Zimbabwe in Harare, now provides him with a breathing space.

Overall, the match was a textbook example of how disciplined bowling and fearless batting can combine to dominate a T20I. As Iyer summed it up, “When everyone works in sync, success follows. That’s what we showed today.”