Afghanistan vs India (cricket rivalry)

A matchup between emerging cricket power Afghanistan and traditional powerhouse India, a signature contrasting clash in which India remains unbeaten across all formats.

Afghanistan vs India (cricket rivalry)

Overview

The cricket national team matchup between Afghanistan and India, framed as 'emerging powerhouse' versus 'traditional powerhouse,' is one of the fastest-growing in prominence in international cricket. Afghanistan is the team with the world's most dramatic growth story, starting in refugee camps in the 2000s and gaining Test status in 2017, while India is the absolute powerhouse at the top of the ICC rankings. Since their first meeting in 2010, the two teams have repeatedly clashed on major stages such as the World Cup and Asia Cup, and to date India has never lost to Afghanistan in international matches (Test, ODI, T20I).

Key details

First meeting and early matches

The first international match between the two teams was in the group stage of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 (St. Lucia, West Indies). At the time Afghanistan had just entered the international stage, and India won by 7 wickets. Then at the 2012 World Twenty20 (Sri Lanka), India won by 23 runs, and the early record tilted one-sidedly toward India.

2018 Bengaluru Test

In June 2018, the two teams played their first and only Test in Bengaluru, India. India ended the match in two days by an innings and 262 runs, and this was Afghanistan's Test debut. Although the result was disastrous, it is a match often recalled in cricket history because of the symbolism of Afghanistan entering the highest format.

2018 Asia Cup Tie — Just before the biggest upset

The Asia Cup Super Four match held in Dubai in September of the same year remains a symbolic moment of this matchup. Afghanistan, powered by Mohammad Shahzad's 124 runs, recorded 252/8, and India, pushed to the last wicket, were all out for 252, ending the match in a tie. It was the first case of Afghanistan effectively forcing India to a draw, and cricket fandom evaluates it as the match that announced 'Afghanistan's leap forward.'

2019 ODI World Cup — A classic 11-run win

In the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup match held in Southampton, India managed only 224/8, and Afghanistan created a chance to turn the game around through Mohammad Nabi's performance. The final result was an 11-run win for India, but it is regarded as a classic in which the outcome was unknown until the final stages, proving Afghanistan's level.

2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup

In the ODI World Cup match held in Delhi, India in 2023, Rohit Sharma smashed 131 runs off 84 balls as India won by 8 wickets. On the other hand, in the 2024 T20 World Cup (Barbados) Super 8, India, led by Suryakumar Yadav's 53 runs, won by 47 runs. In that tournament, Afghanistan reached the semifinals for the first time in history, and that same year, by defeating New Zealand and Australia, it established itself not just as 'a team that creates upsets' but as 'a team capable of being on the wrong end of an upset.'

Record and characteristics

India unbeaten across all formats (ODI/T20I/Test) is the key statistic maintained to date.
Afghanistan has beaten every major power—Pakistan, England, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, and others—at least once, but has not been able to overcome India alone.
India's strengths are its deep batting lineup and pace resources (Bumrah and others), while Afghanistan's strengths are its world-class spin trio (Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi) and the firepower of its middle-order batting.
Due to ground characteristics, close contests often occur on spin-friendly pitches (UAE, the Indian subcontinent).

Key players

Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (one of the biggest stars in franchise cricket), Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai. India: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant.

Latest trends

Since reaching the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan's ICC ranking and player market values have surged simultaneously, and in 2025 it has consistently placed among the top ranks in Asian regional tournaments such as the Asia Cup held in the UAE. India won the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy in succession, displaying all-around strength regardless of home or neutral venues. In the head-to-head structure as well, India has taken victories in recent years, but on spin pitches a pattern repeats in which Afghanistan holds the upper hand until the middle stages. In addition, as Afghanistan players play as key resources in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and various T20 leagues, the reduction of information asymmetry between the two teams' players is also a factor increasing the possibility of close contests in the future. Ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup (co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka), whether Afghanistan can achieve its first win against India is cited as the biggest point of interest.

Context beyond cricket

Based on the friendly relationship in which India has continued humanitarian and development aid to Afghanistan, the two countries have relatively little political conflict in sports exchanges as well. Because of this background, the cheering competition between Indian spectators and Afghan spectators is known to take place in a relatively friendly atmosphere.