1st T20I Updates: India thrash Afghanistan by 7 wickets

India began their Afghanistan series with a comfortable seven-wicket win, chasing down 157 with six wickets and 36 balls to spare.

Rashid continues, with Iyer picking up a single through deep mid-wicket. Tilak Varma gets off the mark with a single before Iyer takes another quick one.

The batters keep it simple, dealing in singles, and Tilak picks up another run. A bit of clumsiness from Afghanistan gifts India the winning run.

India win by seven wickets!

Rashid Khan continues and Kishan misses the flick before an LBW appeal is turned down. He then takes a single towards deep mid-wicket.

Iyer gets off the mark in style with a boundary and follows it with a single. Kishan takes another single off the final delivery.

Seven runs come off the over, with India reaching 146/2 after 13 overs, needing just 11 from 42 balls.

Nabi continues and Kishan finds the boundary with a crisp shot straight down the ground before taking a single. Iyer adds another single.

Kishan then falls to another stunning catch by Rashid Khan. The batter hammered the ball towards long-on, but Rashid timed his jump perfectly and grabbed it above his head.

Kishan departs for 42 off 33 balls.

Nabi returns and keeps it tight with a couple of dot balls before Kishan works one towards long-on. Abhishek then goes down on one knee and launches a clean six over deep square leg. He adds a couple more before trying the slog again.

This time he doesn't get hold of it, and Rashid Khan takes a brilliant catch. Abhishek departs for a stunning 82 off 32 balls.

India take nine runs and lose a wicket from the over. They are 139/2 after 12 overs, needing 18 from 48 balls. Shreyas Iyer is the new batter.

Noor continues, but Kishan keeps a cool head and picks up a boundary towards long-on before taking a single. Abhishek then turns it on, smashing back-to-back sixes as India move closer to the finish. He defends the final two balls to end the over.

India collect 17 runs and move to 130/1 after 11 overs, needing just 27 from 54 balls.

Noor Ahmad comes into the attack and concedes eight runs as India move to 98/1 after eight overs. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan keep the scoreboard moving with singles and twos, while Noor also bowls two wides.

Rashid Khan continues, but Abhishek takes him apart. After reaching his 12th T20 fifty off just 22 balls, he launches a huge six that goes out of the ground before finishing the over with a boundary. Kishan chips in with singles as India take 15 from the over.

After 9 overs, India are 113/1 and need just 44 runs from 66 balls. Abhishek is putting on a show.

Mohammad Nabi comes into the attack, but Kishan keeps the pressure on. He starts with two dot balls before smashing a boundary and taking a single.

Abhishek then takes charge with back-to-back boundaries as India collect 13 runs from the over.

After six overs, India are 82 for 1 and have raced away with the game in the powerplay.

Rashid Khan is brought into the attack, but Kishan misses out on the first ball. He then takes a single towards long-on. Abhishek continues to fire, smashing a boundary before taking another single. Kishan also picks up a single as India collect 8 runs from the over.

India are 90/1 after seven overs, with Abhishek on 47 off just 18 balls.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues and Kishan pounces on a slightly short delivery, pulling it away for four. He defends the next ball before taking a single down to long-on.

Abhishek then drives hard but finds long-off for a single. A leg-bye follows before he finishes the over with a boundary.

Eleven runs come off it, taking India to 43 for 1 after four overs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi returns and Kishan welcomes him with a huge six. He then finds the gap for four, taking India past 50.

Kishan adds a single before Farooqi bowls a wide that races away for five wides.

Abhishek then takes over, smashing a huge six and following it with another boundary.

A massive 26 runs come off the over, sending India racing to 69 for 1 after five overs

Mujeeb Ur Rahman comes into the attack and keeps Samson quiet before sending one down the leg side for a wide. Samson then finds the boundary and follows it with a single, while Abhishek defends the final two deliveries.

Six runs come off the over, with India reaching 18 for no loss after two overs.

Azmatullah Omarzai comes on and strikes with his first over. Samson goes for the shot but finds Darwish Rasooli at deep square leg, who takes a comfortable catch.

Samson departs for 10 off 8 balls. Omarzai, fresh from his fifty with the bat, has now made an impact with the ball too.

Ishan Kishan is the new batter.

India need 157 to win, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opening the chase against Afghanistan's quality spin attack.

Fazalhaq Farooqi starts with a quiet delivery as Samson cuts without much foot movement but mistimes it towards cover. He then gets off the mark with a fine flick through mid-wicket for four, followed by a single to deep backward point.

Abhishek defends his first ball before Farooqi sends one down as a wide. The next delivery is full and outside off, and Abhishek uses the pace beautifully, timing it over the ropes for six.

Twelve runs come off the first over.

Afghanistan were in trouble at 41 for 4 before Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai launched a strong fightback. The pair added valuable runs, with Nabi playing aggressively before Omarzai carried on to a well-made fifty.

India's spinners, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy, had earlier kept the batters in check with a tight stump-to-stump line and picked up a wicket each.

Afghanistan lost wickets in a cluster after Nabi's dismissal, but Omarzai's late hitting and Mujeeb Ur Rahman's cameo helped them cross the 150-run mark.

Arshdeep Singh was India's standout bowler, finishing with 3/19. Afghanistan also targeted India's fifth bowler effectively, taking 59 runs from those four overs.

Shivam Dube is handed the ball for the final over, and Omarzai drives towards wide long-off but decides against taking the single.

He then launches a huge six -- his second in a row -- showing just how confident he is after bringing up his fifty.

Omarzai takes a single off the next ball before Mujeeb Ur Rahman gets into the act, edging one away to the boundary for four. The shot also takes Afghanistan past 150.

Another boundary off the final delivery means 21 runs come off the over. Afghanistan finish strongly on 156 for 8.

Jasprit Bumrah is back into the attack and keeps things tight, with Rashid Khan defending the first two deliveries. A bye gives Afghanistan a run before Omarzai takes a single off a short, wide delivery. Just three runs come off the over, with Afghanistan reaching 130 for 6 after 18 overs.

Arshdeep Singh returns and starts with a wide. Rashid Khan ducks under the next delivery before Arshdeep gets his man, with Rashid edging one to Axar Patel. He departs for just 1 off 10 balls.

Noor Ahmad comes in but is out immediately, run out by Shreyas Iyer for a duck.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman is the new batter.

Omarzai then takes a single through deep square leg to bring up his fifty. He reaches the milestone off 39 balls.

Axar Patel returns to the attack and Omarzai starts with a bang, smashing back-to-back sixes. The first goes over wide long-on before he clears deep square leg with another maximum.

Omarzai then gets a single, but Ishan Kishan puts down a straightforward chance at deep mid-wicket. Nabi picks up a single before Omarzai adds two more through deep extra cover.

Sixteen runs come off the over as Afghanistan reach 120 for 5 after 16 overs.

Arshdeep Singh is brought back into the attack and Nabi starts the over with a huge six, but Arshdeep has the last laugh.

He bowls a slower yorker right into the blockhole and Nabi is bowled for a well-made 33 off 27 balls.

Rashid Khan is the new batter.

Abhishek Sharma comes into the attack and Nabi starts with a single to mid-on. Omarzai then picks up a single through point before Nabi misses with a flashy drive.

Nabi gets another single to long-off before Omarzai finds the boundary. A single off the final ball takes eight runs from the over, with Afghanistan reaching 87 for 5 after 14 overs.

Nitish Kumar Reddy continues and Omarzai starts the over with a boundary, flicking a full delivery through backward square leg. He then adds two runs before completing a 50-run partnership with Nabi.

Omarzai takes another single before Nabi joins the party with a boundary and then launches Reddy for a huge six.

Seventeen runs come off the over, taking Afghanistan past 100 to 104 for 5 after 15 overs.

Varun Chakaravarthy continues and Omarzai and Nabi exchange a single each as Afghanistan move to 58 for 5 after 11 overs.

Nitish Kumar Reddy comes into the attack and Nabi welcomes him with a boundary, followed by a single. Reddy goes short to Omarzai, who pulls it away for another four and then takes a single.

Reddy then attempts a slower delivery but misses the tramline, resulting in a wide. Thirteen runs come off the over as Afghanistan reach 71 for 5 after 12 overs.

Varun continues, with Omarzai and Nabi picking up a single each. But Varun then oversteps and is called for a no-ball. Omarzai takes two runs off the next delivery before another no-ball gives Afghanistan another free hit.

The Indian coach looks on with a serious expression from the dugout as Afghanistan collect two more runs to finish the over.

Eight runs come off it, taking Afghanistan to 79 for 5 after 13 overs.

Varun Chakaravarthy continues and Omarzai picks up a single through mid-wicket. Nabi defends the next delivery before taking two runs, then blocks the next two and gets a single off the final ball.

Four runs come off the over, taking Afghanistan to 50 for 5 after nine overs.

Bumrah returns and Nabi starts with a couple of dot balls before driving towards mid-on for a single. Omarzai then gets hold of an off-cutter and drills it through the covers for a much-needed boundary.

He adds a single before Nabi defends the final delivery. Six runs come off the over, with Afghanistan reaching 56 for 5 after 10 overs.

Drinks are called.

Varun Chakaravarthy comes into the attack and starts with a single to Darwish Rasooli. Azmatullah Omarzai blocks the next two before getting a single with a mistimed cut towards deep point.

Rasooli then misses a tuck and India appeal for LBW, but decide against taking the review. Varun gets his man soon after, bowling Rasooli to leave Afghanistan five down.

Rasooli departs for 2 off 6 balls, with just two runs and a wicket coming from the seventh over. Afghanistan are 43 for 5.

Mohammad Nabi joins Omarzai at the crease. Axar Patel bowls a tidy over, conceding just three runs as Omarzai picks up two and a single before Nabi defends the final delivery.

After eight overs, Afghanistan are 46 for 5.

Axar Patel continues and Gulbadin Naib gets a single off the first delivery. Darwish Rasooli defends the next before taking a single.

Then India strike again. Rasooli goes for the shot, but Nitish Reddy runs back and takes a superb catch, keeping his eyes on the ball all the way.

Afghanistan are four down, with Naib departing for 2 off 6 balls.

Azmatullah Omarzai is the new batter and defends the final two deliveries of the over. After six overs, Afghanistan are 41 for 4.

Gulbadin Naib comes to the crease as Arshdeep Singh returns to the attack. Naib taps the first ball towards the off-side, then swings and misses at the next. Another dot follows before he gets off the mark with a single.

Arshdeep then strikes. He bowls a wide yorker outside off and Sediqullah Atal tries to jam it out, only to edge it to Jasprit Bumrah.

Afghanistan lose another wicket inside the powerplay, with India and the crowd delighted.

Atal departs for 13 off 13 balls. Darwish Rasooli comes in and defends the final delivery of the over.

Just one run and a wicket come off the over, leaving Afghanistan 39 for 3 after five overs.

Arshdeep Singh comes into the attack and starts with a dot ball before Ibrahim Zadran opens his account with a lovely boundary. He defends the next delivery, while Sediqullah Atal finishes the over with another four.

It is an excellent over for Afghanistan, with 11 coming off it. After two overs, Afghanistan are 18 for 1.

Bumrah continues and Zadran gets a single after defending the first two deliveries. Atal then launches a huge six before finding another boundary. Another 11 runs come off the over, taking Afghanistan to 29 for 1 after three overs.

Axar Patel is brought into the attack and Zadran starts with a solid block before hitting the next ball for four. Atal misses his sweep and picks up two runs off his pads, followed by a single.

Then comes a needless run-out.

Zadran and Atal look for a second run, but Ishan Kishan makes a brilliant run to his left and fires in a sharp throw. The ball lands right on top of the stumps, with Axar completing the dismissal.

Jasprit Bumrah began his comeback game with an expensive start, conceding five wides after one delivery slipped down the leg side and beat Sanju Samson's dive.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz then nearly chopped one onto his stumps before Bumrah had the last laugh.

Gurbaz edged the ball onto his pads, and it popped up for Abhishek Sharma to take a low catch. The umpires checked the catch, but replays showed Abhishek's fingers were underneath the ball.

Gurbaz was out for a duck, giving Bumrah the first wicket of the match.

Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran(c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz(wk), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

India: Sanju Samson(wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

There were some special moments before the toss, with the teams exchanging jerseys, a commemorative coin and a special memento.

Shreyas Iyer then won the toss and decided to bowl first in Delhi.

'We are going to bowl first. Whenever you come to Delhi, you know what the pitch has to offer. It usually is a bowl-first wicket. We know Bumrah is a match-winner. Vaibhav is not playing, Washington is not playing and two more players are also out,' he said.

Hello and welcome to the coverage of the first T20I between India and Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

Afghanistan are the designated home side but India will start as favourites after dominating their recent meetings. India have won eight of their nine T20Is against Afghanistan.

Afghanistan will be looking to bounce back after India swept the one-off Test and three-match ODI series. They then found their rhythm against Ireland, winning their recent five-match ODI series 4-0. This will be their first T20I since the World Cup.

India, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their 3-0 T20I sweep of Zimbabwe after losing series against Ireland and England.

All eyes will be on Jasprit Bumrah, who makes his much-awaited return after recovering from a knee injury. Sanju Samson is also back, while Varun Chakaravarthy will lead the spin attack.

The big question for India is who opens alongside Abhishek Sharma.