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As India concluded the Afghanistan T20I series with a commanding 3-0 win, Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Director Shyam Sunder said that hosting the India-Afghanistan T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi was a great experience.
He said the Afghanistan Cricket Board and team praised the facilities and pitch, while the Delhi crowd enthusiastically appreciated good bowling and batting from both sides. Sunder also credited ICC chairman Jay Shahs vision for promoting Afghan cricket and cricket across associate nations, saying the efforts are now bearing fruit. "We were hosting a match at our own stadium for the first time, and it was a great experience. We tried to provide excellent facilities, and the entire Afghanistan Cricket Board and their team were happy and full of praise. They particularly praised our pitch, which was very gratifying... It wasn't just the Afghan fans; the Delhi crowd appreciated good bowling and batting alike, applauding enthusiastically. There was no sense of discrimination regarding the visiting team; the atmosphere was fantastic. They are a very good team. The initiative to promote Afghan cricket was Jay Shah's vision. He has done a tremendous job promoting cricket in all associate nations... That effort is now bearing fruit," Sunder told ANI on Thursday night. DDCA Secretary Ashok Sharma expressed happiness over Indias series victory, saying the win brought joy to the nation after two previous series defeats. He said the series was successfully hosted by the DDCA and that the Afghanistan team would take back the experience of Indias spirit of Atithi Devo Bhava. Sharma also assured the Afghanistan side that the DDCA, through the BCCI, would continue to support efforts to promote Afghan cricket in Delhi. "It is a matter of great joy that India won the series. After losing the previous two series, a victory brings happiness to the entire nation. Since the DDCA served as the host, the series went very well; the Afghanistan management will surely take back the experience and share with their country how India embodies the spirit of 'Atithi Devo Bhava' (treating the guest as God). We have invited them to return, assuring them that whenever they need support to promote Afghanistan cricket in Delhi, the DDCA, through the BCCI, will always stand by them," Sharma told ANI. India completed a 3-0 clean sweep against Afghanistan with a commanding 127-run victory in the third and final T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday. Batting first, India posted a formidable 221/7, powered by a record-breaking 108 off 34 balls from Abhishek Sharma. (ANI)
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