Suryakumar Yadav's blistering half-century guided India to a formidable 181-8 in their T20 World Cup Super Eights clash against Afghanistan on Thursday. The 33-year-old batsman smashed his 19th T20 international fifty, scoring 53 off 28 balls, including five fours and three sixes. His crucial 60-run fifth-wicket stand with Hardik Pandya played a pivotal role in stabilizing India's innings.

Afghanistan's captain and leg-spinner Rashid Khan, along with fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi, shone with the ball, each claiming three wickets. Farooqi struck early, dismissing India skipper Rohit Sharma for just eight runs, marking his 50th career T20 international wicket. Rashid Khan was instrumental in derailing India's momentum, finishing with impressive figures of 3-26.

Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant's 43-run partnership for the second wicket laid a solid foundation after the early loss of Sharma. Pant's aggressive 11-ball 20, featuring three consecutive boundaries off Mohammad Nabi, ended abruptly when he was lbw to Rashid Khan. Kohli's 24 off 24 balls brought some stability before he fell to Rashid, continuing his struggle for form in the tournament.

Suryakumar Yadav's dynamic innings and his partnership with Hardik Pandya, who scored 32 from 24 balls, threatened to put India in a commanding position. However, Farooqi's return to dismiss Suryakumar in the 17th over and Pandya's wicket by Naveen-ul-Haq in the 18th over stemmed India's flow of runs.

Farooqi's outstanding spell, where he also claimed Ravindra Jadeja, saw him finish with figures of 3-33, taking his tournament tally to 15 wickets. Rashid Khan's economical and penetrating bowling was a highlight, demonstrating his value as Afghanistan's leading bowler.

India's total of 181-8 sets a challenging target for Afghanistan, who will need a disciplined batting performance to chase down the score. With conditions favoring both batsmen and bowlers, the match promises to be an exciting contest as Afghanistan looks to upset the formidable Indian side.

This thrilling encounter at the T20 World Cup Super Eights showcases the high stakes and intense competition, with both teams vying for supremacy in the tournament. Stay tuned to see if Afghanistan can rise to the challenge or if India will continue their dominant run.