IND vs AFG - Shivam Dube smashes 38-ball 50, helps India win 1st T20 and take 1-0 lead

Shivam Dube reached his fifty in 38 balls while batting alongside Rinku Singh and this marked his second half-century in T20Is.

Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh

In the 1st T20I clash between India and Afghanistan, all-rounder Shivam Dube is making a compelling case for his inclusion in the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 by smashing a well-deserved half-century. With this, India clinched a 6-wicket victory taking the 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.

Tasked with chasing the target of 159 set by the Afghans, India faced early setbacks, losing two quick wickets. It was at this juncture that Dube took centre stage at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.

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Teaming up with Tilak Varma (26), Dube played a pivotal role in setting the tone for the Men in Blue, stepping up after the dismissals of Rohit Sharma (run-out for a duck) and Shubman Gill (23). Following Varma's departure, Jitesh Sharma (31) joined Dube at the crease, and together they forged a formidable partnership.

Dube reached his fifty in 38 balls while batting alongside Rinku Singh. Notably, this marked Shivam Dube's second half-century in T20Is. He finished the game scoring 60* runs while Rinku remained at 16 not out.

A comfortable win for India after they restricted Afghanistan to 158. India lost four wickets, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman claiming two, Azmatullah Omarzai securing one, and another falling victim to a run-out.

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In the first innings, apart from Mohammad Nabi's 42, significant contributions came from Azmatullah Omarzai (29), Ibrahim Zadran (25), and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23). Mukesh Kumar and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each for India, while Shivam Dube secured one wicket.

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar

Afghanistan (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran(c), Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

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