'We've got a lot to work on' - Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus says after India whitewash
Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus acknowledged significant gaps in the team's preparation after a 3-0 T20I series defeat to India.
Afghanistan suffered a 3-0 T20I series defeat to India across three matches in September 2026. The series began on September 13 in Delhi and concluded after India sealed the whitewash following the second T20I on September 15. In the third T20I at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Afghanistan's batting collapsed as the team managed only 94 runs, highlighting the comprehensive nature of the loss across all three encounters.
Head coach Richard Pybus reflected on the series outcome and the challenges his squad faced during the campaign. The extended gap since Afghanistan's last T20 World Cup group stage match in February 2026 meant several players were returning to international T20 cricket for the first time in months, adding to the adjustment period the squad encountered.
"We've got a lot to work on. I think I said the other day this is our first T20 series since the World Cup. That's a really long break," Pybus said in the post-match press conference.
"Some of these guys have just come back into the squad for the first time since then. We've been benchmarked, tested and we can see where our deficits are. Now we need to go to work," he added.
Fielding effort and batting execution in the third T20I
Pybus acknowledged that India's aggressive batting approach throughout the series had exposed Afghanistan's vulnerabilities. Abhishek Sharma's explosive 108 off 34 balls in the third T20I, which included 11 sixes and 9 fours, demonstrated the quality of opposition the Afghan team faced. Sharma's hundred came off just 30 balls against a Full-member team, making it the fastest T20I hundred against such opposition and the third-quickest overall. In the second T20I, Sanju Samson scored 57 off 21 balls while Abhishek contributed 39 off 19 balls, showcasing India's relentless batting throughout the series.
Pybus highlighted Afghanistan's fielding performance in the third T20I as a positive, particularly during the closing stages of India's innings. He also discussed the team's batting approach and the difficulty of chasing a substantial target under scoreboard pressure.
"I thought we were brilliant in the field in those back 10 overs. Rashid led that. He was superb. With the batting, you're chasing 220. The intent is to go and chase it down," Pybus said.
The Afghanistan coach went on to explain the challenges his batting department faced when pursuing a large total.
"You have got scoreboard pressure and go at 11 runs and over. There's nowhere to hide. If you come up short, it's no good scoring 150 and being behind the rate. We've got to execute our game plan. We didn't deliver. I thought that up front with Ibrahim and Gurbaz, we were much better in terms of our intent. We brought our game to the Indian opening bowlers, but we couldn't hold that consistency," he added.
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