Shreyas invites Zadran to join India’s trophy celebrations, raising the cup of friendship together
Shreyas Iyer showed that the spirit of the Friendship Cup was about more than just winning as the India skipper invited Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran to join India’s trophy celebrations after their 3-0 series leveler in Delhi on Thursday.
During the trophy presentation, Iyer called Zadran to the podium and challenged him to share the silver with the Indian team. He then made sure the Afghanistan captain was part of the winning team photo, turning the presentation into a moment of sporting camaraderie.
IND vs AFG, 3rd T20I: MAIN | SCORECARD
It was a gesture that reflected what sports can be about beyond the result: respect, humility and sportsmanship. India won the series but Iyer made sure the Afghanistan captain was part of the celebrations.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was on commentary, praised the gesture.
“From the opposition and have their captain join you for a team photo. Yeah, that’s fantastic. Now he’s gone and the support staff have joined, and here it is. That’s a picture of the champion, uh, well, that’s the money that’s being shot there. The Indian squad and the support staff,” Gavaskar said.
The gesture also brought back memories of Afghanistan’s historic Test against India at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in June 2018.
The match marked a significant milestone in Afghanistan’s cricketing journey as it became the 12th full member of the ICC. India won by an innings and 262 runs in two days.
India’s stand-in captain at the post-match presentation Ajinkya Rahane invited Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan and his teammates to join India in the victory photo, allowing both teams to share the moment.
Almost nine years later, Iyer offered Zadran a similar gesture after India completed another comprehensive win over Afghanistan.
ABHISHEK PRESENTS
Abhishek Sharma’s breathtaking 30-ball century helped India complete a series sweep over Afghanistan with a comprehensive 127-run victory in the third and final T20 here on Thursday.
After Zadran won the toss and elected to field, Abhishek raced to his hundred in 30 balls and ended up with 108 off 34, hitting nine fours and 11 sixes.
century, he was the fastest Indian in men’s T20I cricket, surpassing Rohit Sharma’s hundred in 35 balls. It was also the fastest T20I century against a Full Member team and the third fastest overall.
Abhishek’s 11 sixes and nine fours accounted for 102 of his 108 runs, giving him the highest percentage of boundary runs in a T20I innings. He also extended his record for centuries scored in 30 balls or less and 40 balls or less.
India raced to 100 in the first six overs, their highest overs score in T20Is, but Afghanistan fought back as the innings progressed. India eventually finished at 221 for seven, with Sanju Samson contributing his second consecutive half-century.
The pursuit of Afghanistan never got off the ground. Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 15 off 11 balls and Sediqullah Atal scored one before both fell in the over to Axar Patel.
Jasprit Bumrah then dismissed Darwish Rasooli with a sharp yorker while Yash Thakur removed Zadran in the sixth over to leave Afghanistan 47 for four.
Nitish Reddy, despite conceding 15 runs in the opener, bounced back to claim three wickets as Afghanistan collapsed. They were bowled out for 94 in 14.1 overs, giving India a 127-run win to complete the series 3–0.
The end result was emphatic. But when India lifted the friendship cup, Iyer made sure Zadran was there to share the moment. India won the trophy. They also gave space to the opposition to celebrate with them.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
17 Sep 2026 23:53 IST