India wrapped up the Friendship Cup with a commanding 127-run victory over Afghanistan in the third and final T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday, completing a 3-0 series sweep.

The night belonged to opener Abhishek Sharma, who produced a record-breaking innings that rewrote the T20I record books. The left-hander raced to his century in just 30 deliveries — the fastest T20I hundred by a batter from a Full Member nation, surpassing the previous record jointly held by Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza and New Zealand's Finn Allen by three balls. It was also the fastest century by an Indian, comfortably eclipsing Rohit Sharma's 35-ball effort against Sri Lanka in 2017.

Abhishek's assault began from the very first over. He took 16 balls to reach his fifty before adding the next fifty runs in just 14 more deliveries. He finished with 108 off 34 balls, an innings that included nine fours and 11 sixes, striking at 317.65.

Sanju Samson provided excellent support with a second successive half-century, making 50 off 35 balls as the opening pair added 142 runs in just 9.5 overs. India raced to 100 in the powerplay — the team's highest-ever powerplay score in T20Is.

Afghanistan's chase never gathered any momentum. After a promising start of 31 without loss, the innings unravelled dramatically. Axar Patel struck twice in the powerplay to remove Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal, before Jasprit Bumrah and Yash Thakur chipped in with wickets.

Nitish Kumar Reddy then delivered the decisive blow, claiming three wickets in a single over — including the prized scalps of Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman — to snuff out any hopes of a fightback. Ravi Bishnoi cleaned up the tail with 3 for 26 as Afghanistan were bowled out for 94 in 14.1 overs.

The first two matches followed remarkably similar patterns, with India chasing down modest targets with consummate ease. In the series opener on September 13, Afghanistan were reduced to 43 for 5 after seven overs before Azmatullah Omarzai's unbeaten 64 off 44 balls lifted them to 156 for 8. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 19, while Jasprit Bumrah marked his return to T20I cricket with a disciplined spell. Abhishek Sharma then made light work of the chase, smashing 82 off 32 balls with seven fours and seven sixes, sharing a 121-run stand with Ishan Kishan (42) as India romped home in 13.4 overs.

The second T20I on September 15 was even more one-sided. Afghanistan managed 159 for 8, with captain Ibrahim Zadran's 37 off 33 the only innings of substance. Nitish Kumar Reddy continued his impressive series with 3 for 24, while Axar Patel claimed 2 for 9. India's response was brutal. Sanju Samson, after a first-ball duck in the opener, struck a blistering 57 off just 22 balls, while Abhishek contributed 39 off 19. The opening pair added 88 in just 6.2 overs as India chased down the target in 14.5 overs with seven wickets to spare.

A sporting finale

The evening ended on a note that embodied the spirit of the Friendship Cup. During the trophy presentation, India captain Shreyas Iyer called Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran onto the podium, inviting him to share the silverware and join the Indian team for the traditional winners' photograph.

The gesture evoked memories of 2018, when stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane invited the Afghanistan squad to join India's victory photograph after Afghanistan's historic maiden Test in Bengaluru, handing over the trophy to the debutants in a poignant display of sportsmanship.

Abhishek Sharma was named both Player of the Match for the final game and Player of the Series, finishing with 229 runs across the three matches at an average of 76.33 and a strike rate of 269.41. Nitish Kumar Reddy ended as the series' leading wicket-taker with six scalps.

India will now travel to Japan for a historic one-off T20I against the host nation on September 22 at the Sano International Cricket Ground, a fixture that marks the first-ever meeting between the two sides in men's international cricket and launches the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations.

The match will also serve as preparation ahead of the Asian Games, where India enter at the quarterfinal stage, with their opening match scheduled for September 28.