Abhishek lights up Delhi as India cruise past Afghanistan

Ever since Bumrah dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz with the second ball of the match, India did all the front-running. The only obstacle was a familiar one: batting allrounders struggling to complete the fifth bowler's quota. On this occasion, Shivam Dube was left to bowl for the first time in the 20th over, and half-centurion Azmatullah Omarzai took 21 off it to take Afghanistan past 150. Still, in good batting conditions in Delhi, it proved to be a paltry total.

Leaner Bumrah comes back just as mean

Looking leaner since we last saw him, Bumrah started with five wides, but made amends almost immediately with a ball that nipped in and kicked at Gurbaz, who guided it to slip for some catching practice. He didn't consider a single run off the bat in his first over back.

Axar, Varun, Arshdeep cash in on a run-out

Sediqullah Atal and new captain Ibrahim Zadran got off to a bit of a start. Atal hit Bumrah for an incredibly flat six and a four in the third over, but Zadran ran himself out at the end of the fourth over to set off a collapse.

In Arshdeep's second over, Atal guided a full ball straight to short third. Under pressure to capitalise in the last over of the powerplay, Gulbadin Naib ended up slicing Axar for a lovely catch from Nitish Kumar Reddy, running back from cover and taking it over his shoulder. Varun was quick and accurate in his first over back, taking out the leg stump of Darwish Rasooli to make it 43 for 5 in seven overs.

In Zimbabwe, India tried playing with four specialist bowlers, but were back to prioritising batting depth against Afghanistan, which meant eight overs from Axar, Reddy and Dube. At his IPL home ground, Axar delivered his four overs for just 27, that too thanks to a dropped catch in his final over. Reddy went for 30 in his two overs, while Shreyas Iyer squeezed in an over from Abhishek as Afghanistan had to dial down intent after losing five wickets so early.

In the death overs, Iyer attacked first with Arshdeep and Bumrah, conceding just 15 in overs 17 to 19. However, that did leave Dube with a difficult over to bowl, which a set Omarzai took toll of.

Abhishek seals the chase off

India's biggest headache in recent times has been selecting two out of three sensationally good T20 openers. Back in the squad after missing the Zimbabwe tour and replacing the player of that series, Vaiibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson picked out deep square leg when he looked to hit his first six after two early fours.

However, Abhishek, having endured a run of low scores in his last six matches, made sure there were no hiccups in the small chase. His six-hitting began with one over cover off Fazalhaq Farooqi, then progressed straighter to long-off off Omarzai, moved to midwicket off Farooqi and finished its first cycle at square leg off Rashid Khan. Back he went over long-on, over cover, over square leg, and ended up with 82 runs off just 32 balls.

Himself in good form, Ishan Kishan was at times reduced to being just a spectator, scoring just 35 in a 121-run second-wicket partnership. Kishan fell for 42 off 33, trying to hit his second six, as the wicketless Rashid slowed India's victory march with two excellent boundary catches.