A masterclass of fast bowling was seen at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. India clashed with afghanistan In the 3rd ODI on June 20, 2026. Looking to put up an impressive performance in the IND vs AFG series, the Indian cricket team took the field with full strength. While Chennai is historically famous for its support of spinners, it was India’s greatest speedster Prasidh Krishna Who made headlines by completely demolishing Afghanistan’s top order within the opening powerplay. Backed by brilliant, pacey slip fielding from the captain Rohit SharmaIndia left the visitors engaging in a tactical bowling clinic.
Prasidh Krishna dominates Afghanistan in 3rd ODI as Rohit Sharma takes sharp catches in the slips
Krishna started the attack on the very first ball of his spell. Running at 135 km/h, he bowled a beautiful length ball which was about 2.5 degrees of late outswing. Afghanistan’s dangerous opener Rahmanullah GurbazAn attempt was made to drive upwards, but was undone by the movement. The ball took a thick outside edge and went straight into the safe hands of Rohit at first slip, sending Gurbaz back for just 5 runs.
Krishna’s work was not completed yet. In his next over he hit a speed of 141 km/h Rehmat Shah With a seam-up delivery that held its line beautifully. Lured by the initial flick towards midwicket, Rahmat closed the face of his bat too early, resulting in a looping leading edge. Showing unprecedented anticipation, Rohit leapt to his left and steadied the ball on his thigh and then held it safely to leave Afghanistan at 26 for 2.
The fatal blow to the top order came in the fourth over of Krishna. He bowled at full length at a speed of 139 km/hr. ibrahim zadran Into a wide cover drive. The ball took shape late, kissing the outside edge and flying towards first slip. Rohit completed the hat-trick by taking the catch easily. At 28 for 3, Krishna had astonishing figures of 3.2-2-4-3, putting the contest firmly in India’s favour.
Here is the video:
Same setup, same results 🔄
Famous Krishna 🤝 Rohit Sharma 😊
Update ▶️ https://t.co/kHgF4bqTg3#TeamIndia | #INDvAFG | @IDFCFIRSTBANK pic.twitter.com/Bf2YPIA59l
– BCCI (@BCCI) 20 June 2026
Also read: Here’s why KL Rahul is not playing in the 3rd ODI against Afghanistan today
Krishna joins the exclusive club of Indian bowlers with the top powerplay figures in ODIs since 2002
This explosive opening spell put Krishna firmly in the history books of Indian white-ball cricket. Achieving fierce bounce and swing on the sticky Chennai deck, Krishna recorded one of the most economical and devastating powerplay spells by an Indian bowler in two decades.
His early collapse of 4 wickets for just 6 runs puts him alongside India’s elite modern fast bowlers. Here’s how his statistical masterclass compares with the best powerplay performances by Indian bowlers in ODIs since 2002:
| bowler | rival | powerplay statistics |
| Mohammad Siraj | vs sri lanka | 5 wickets for 7 runs |
| Prasidh Krishna | vs afghanistan | 4 wickets for 6 runs |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | vs sri lanka | 4 wickets for 7 runs |
| Jasprit Bumrah | vs England | 4 wickets for 9 runs |
| Mohammad Siraj | vs sri lanka | 4 wickets for 17 runs |
Krishna’s ability to maintain a tight line while constantly searching for pace gave the Afghan batsmen no answer. With Rohit’s flawless, gold-standard slip catching, India showed why their bowling depth remains arguably the most intimidating asset in world cricket.
Also read: Former India captain calls KL Rahul’s ideal batting position for India