India’s dominance over Afghanistan reached unprecedented heights on Monday as the Men in Blue secured a comprehensive innings-and-300-run victory in the one-off Test in New Chandigarh. While the margin of victory was remarkable on its own, the result also etched India’s name into the record books for a feat never achieved before in international men’s cricket.
With the win, India extended its unbeaten run against Afghanistan to 15 matches across all formats. Out of those encounters, India has won 12, while the remaining three games ended without a result or produced ties. This makes India the first team in the world to remain unbeaten in 15 matches against a single opponent.
The latest triumph was built on a commanding first-innings performance. After piling up a massive 564/8 before declaring, India’s bowlers took complete control of the contest. Afghanistan was bowled out for 152 in its first innings, with debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar delivering a dream performance. The youngster claimed outstanding figures of 6/33, putting the visitors under immense pressure.
Asked to follow on, Afghanistan’s struggles continued in the second innings. Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav shared most of the wickets, finishing with figures of 4/36 and 3/30 respectively. Afghanistan managed only 112 before being dismissed, handing India one of its most emphatic Test victories.
Interestingly, the India-Afghanistan rivalry has produced only three matches that did not result in an Indian victory. One encounter was washed out, a T20I in October 2023, while two others ended in ties.
The first tied game came during the 2018 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Led by MS Dhoni, India conceded 252 runs after Afghanistan opener Mohammad Shahzad smashed a brilliant 124 off 118 balls. Chasing the target, India’s innings ended dramatically when Ravindra Jadeja fell on the penultimate delivery. At the time, the tournament rules did not provide for a Super Over.
The second tie proved even more dramatic. In a bilateral T20I at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2024, Rohit Sharma’s explosive 121 off 69 balls and Rinku Singh’s 69 off 39 powered India to 212/4. Afghanistan responded strongly, with all three top-order batters scoring half-centuries to level the scores.
What followed was one of the most thrilling finishes in the T20I history. Afghanistan scored 16 runs in the first Super Over which India matched, thanks largely to Rohit Sharma’s six-hitting. A second Super Over was required and after India posted 11 runs, Ravi Bishnoi struck twice in the first three deliveries to seal a memorable victory.
India’s 15-match unbeaten streak now stands alone at the top. The closest comparison in men’s cricket belongs to New Zealand, which won 13 consecutive matches against Ireland. Uganda also recorded 15 wins in 15 games against Nigeria between 2021 and 2025.
Meanwhile, India’s second longest active unbeaten run is against Ireland, with 11 matches without defeat, a streak that could grow further when the team tours Ireland for T20Is later this month.
