Quick Answer: India vs Afghanistan Head-to-Head Summary

India and Afghanistan have played 14 international matches across all formats as of 2024. India leads the overall head-to-head with 11 wins, 1 defeat, and 2 ties or no results. The two teams first met at the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. Afghanistan registered their only win against India in January 2024 during the third T20I in Bengaluru. India won the only Test match played between the sides in 2018.

The Story Behind the Stats

When Afghanistan played India for the first time in September 2012, barely anyone outside of Kabul expected the game to be competitive. India were one of the most powerful teams in world cricket. Afghanistan were a young nation still finding their identity in the sport.

Twelve years later, the story looks very different. Afghanistan beat India in a T20I in 2024. They nearly derailed India at two World Cups. Their spinners have become some of the most feared bowlers in T20 cricket globally. The rivalry, if you can call it that yet, is slowly becoming one of the more fascinating storylines in Asian cricket.

This article walks through every single match between the two sides, format by format, year by year.

Head-to-Head Overview: All Formats Combined

T20 International Timeline

Match 1: ICC World Twenty20, Sri Lanka – September 19, 2012

Result: India won by 23 runs | Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

This was the first ever meeting between the two sides in any format. Afghanistan had qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 as runners-up in the qualifier tournament and arrived with nothing to lose.

India batted first and posted 159 for 5 in 20 overs. Virat Kohli kept the innings together after Afghanistan’s bowlers tested the top order with genuine pace and bounce. Afghanistan’s fielding let them down badly, with several catches grassed.

In reply, Afghanistan scored 136 all out in 19.3 overs. Their batsmen fought hard but Yuvraj Singh’s key double-strike in the middle overs changed the game. It was a competitive defeat and the cricketing world took notice.

Match 2: Asia Cup T20, Bangladesh – February 28, 2016

Result: India won by 8 wickets | Venue: Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

The 2016 Asia Cup was played in T20 format ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 in India. Afghanistan were bundled out for a low total and India chased it down comfortably with 59 balls to spare. Pawan Negi made his T20I debut in this match. India went on to win the entire tournament without dropping a game.

Match 3: Asia Cup T20, UAE – September 8, 2022

Result: India won by 101 runs | Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium

This was one of India’s most dominant T20I performances against Afghanistan. Virat Kohli finally ended his long international century drought in this match, scoring an extraordinary hundred that had the whole cricket world talking. He struck 75 off 44 balls to help India post 212 for 2. Afghanistan were bowled out for 111, losing by 101 runs.

Matches 4 to 6: T20I Series, January 2024

This was the first ever bilateral T20I series between the two sides, played across three Indian cities as preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup.

1st T20I: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali – January 11, 2024 Result: India won by 6 wickets. Rashid Khan was unavailable for the series due to back surgery. India chased comfortably with wickets to spare.

2nd T20I: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi – January 14, 2024 Result: Tied after two Super Overs. This was the first T20I in cricket history decided by two Super Overs, both of which ended in ties. India eventually won under tiebreaker rules. Rohit Sharma became the first male cricketer to play 150 T20Is during this match.

3rd T20I: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru – January 17, 2024 Result: Afghanistan won by 1 run. Afghanistan registered their first ever win against India in any international format. India needed only 1 run off the last ball and could not get it. Rohit Sharma scored his fifth T20I century and still ended up on the losing side. It was a watershed moment for Afghan cricket.

Match 7: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Super Eights – June 20, 2024

Result: India won by 47 runs | Venue: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

India met Afghanistan in the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup in Barbados. The top order stuttered with Rohit Sharma scoring 8 and Virat Kohli managing a slow 24. Suryakumar Yadav then struck 53 off 28 balls to accelerate. India posted 181 for 8. Rashid Khan was the standout bowler with 3 for 26.

Afghanistan’s chase never got going. Jasprit Bumrah dismissed both openers inside the first four overs and finished with 3 for 7 in one of the great World Cup spells. Afghanistan were bowled out for 134. India went on to win the World Cup title.

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One Day International Timeline

Match 1: Asia Cup ODI, Bangladesh – March 5, 2014

Result: India won by 8 wickets | Venue: Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

The first ever ODI between the sides. Afghanistan were bundled out for 159 all out in 45.3 overs. Mohammed Shami became the second fastest Indian bowler to reach 50 ODI wickets during this match. India chased it down in 32.2 overs, winning by 8 wickets with 106 balls to spare. The experience gap between the sides was obvious at this stage.

Match 2: Asia Cup ODI, UAE – September 25, 2018

Result: Tie | Venue: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

The most dramatic match in the history of this fixture. Afghanistan posted 252 all out batting first. India’s chase seemed on track at various points but wickets kept falling at inconvenient times. With the final over, India needed 3 runs with 2 wickets in hand. An extraordinary finale unfolded and India scored exactly 252, ending the match in a tie. Afghanistan celebrated on the field as if they had won. In many ways they had.

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Match 3: ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, England – June 22, 2019

Result: India won by 11 runs | Venue: Ageas Bowl, Southampton

One of the narrowest wins in India’s World Cup history. India managed 224 for 8 batting first on a difficult pitch. Kuldeep Yadav took 3 wickets to restrict Afghanistan’s chase. Afghanistan fought all the way to the last over before falling 11 runs short, finishing on 213 all out. It was a match India could have lost very easily.

Match 4: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, India – October 11, 2023

Result: India won by 8 wickets | Venue: Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, Delhi

Afghanistan batted first and posted a competitive 272 for 8 in 50 overs. Hashmatullah Shahidi scored 80 and Azmatullah Omarzai added 62. Jasprit Bumrah took 4 wickets. India’s chase was built on a dominant opening stand between Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Rohit scored a century and India completed the win with 8 wickets in hand.

Test Match: The Only Test Between India and Afghanistan

One-off Test, Bengaluru – June 14-16, 2018

Result: India won by an innings and 262 runs | Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

A historic occasion. Afghanistan played their first Test match in India shortly after being granted Test status in 2017. Ajinkya Rahane captained India in Virat Kohli’s absence. India declared at 474 for 7, with Murali Vijay scoring a century. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja then dismantled Afghanistan in both innings. Afghanistan scored 109 and 103 in their two digs. India won by an innings and 262 runs.

Complete Timeline at a Glance

Five Matches That Defined This Fixture

1. The First Meeting, 2012 T20 World Cup: Put Afghanistan on the cricket map. They gave India a genuine scare and left Colombo with respect from the entire cricket world.

2. The 2018 Asia Cup Tie: Afghanistan’s greatest result against India. Needing 3 off the last over, India could only tie. Both teams shared a point and Afghanistan shared a moment they will never forget.

3. The 2018 One-off Test: Heavy defeat but a historic milestone. Playing a Test match against India in India was a landmark in Afghanistan’s cricket journey.

4. The 2019 ODI World Cup Near Miss: Just 11 runs separated Afghanistan from eliminating a major World Cup contender. It proved they could compete in the 50-over format at the highest level.

5. Third T20I, Bengaluru, January 2024: The first ever win. Afghanistan won by 1 run despite Rohit Sharma scoring a century. It ended India’s perfect record and gave Afghanistan a moment that belongs in cricket history.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When did India and Afghanistan first play cricket against each other?

India and Afghanistan first played on September 19, 2012, at the ICC World Twenty20 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. India won by 23 runs.

Has Afghanistan ever beaten India in cricket?

Yes. Afghanistan beat India for the first time in any format on January 17, 2024, winning the third T20I in Bengaluru by 1 run. Rohit Sharma scored a century for India but it was not enough.

What is the head-to-head record between India and Afghanistan?

India lead with 10+ wins from 13+ matches across all formats. Afghanistan have 1 win and 2 matches ended in ties or no result situations.

Have India and Afghanistan played a Test match?

Yes, one Test was played in June 2018 in Bengaluru. India won by an innings and 262 runs. It was Afghanistan’s first Test match played on Indian soil.

What happened in the 2018 Asia Cup match between India and Afghanistan?

It ended in a dramatic tie. Both teams finished on 252 all out. India needed 3 off the last over to win and could only manage to tie. Afghanistan celebrated it as one of their greatest results.

Who is Afghanistan’s best player against India?

Rashid Khan has been the most consistent threat, regularly troubling India’s batting with his leg-spin. He took 3 for 26 in the 2024 T20 World Cup Super Eights match in Barbados.

Did India play Afghanistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup?

Yes. They met in the Super Eights on June 20, 2024, in Barbados. India won by 47 runs. Jasprit Bumrah took 3 for 7 and Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 53.

What was the double Super Over T20I in 2024?

The 2nd T20I in Delhi in January 2024 ended in a tie, the Super Over also ended in a tie, making it the first T20I in history to require two Super Overs. India won under tiebreaker rules.

Conclusion: A Rivalry Still Being Written

The India-Afghanistan cricket story is not yet a rivalry in the traditional sense. The scorelines are too one-sided for that. But it is becoming something more interesting than a simple mismatch.

Afghanistan have Test status, world-class players in Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Ibrahim Zadran, and they have now beaten India in an international match. The gap is closing year by year.

India remain dominant. But the margins are getting smaller. And the next chapter in this timeline might just be the most interesting one yet.