"Any reliable indicators of the popular sentiment in Afghanistan?"
Inference based on battles aren't a reliable indicator of popular sentiment. At best, they are an indicator of the sentiment of the army personnel. A better indicator may be from afghan sources/public figures who are apolitical.
The below is from popular afghan public/sports figures who are not politically affiliated: Rashid Khan and Nabi
"My country is in chaos,thousand of innocent people, including children & women, get martyred everyday, houses & properties being destructed.Thousand families displaced..Don’t leave us in chaos."
Mohammed Nabi's twitter messageMohammed Nabi's twitter message
"I appeal to the leaders of the world; please don't let Afghanistan go into chaos. We need your Support. We want Peace."
Conclusion:
- Even for people in Afghanistan, the Taliban as an unknown. They don't know what to expect, and don't want chaos.
- The people of afghanistan don't have a choice in whether to like Taliban on not. They've been handed over to the Taliban by their army and bad planning on governance transition after Western troop withdrawal.
- The popular sentiment in Kabul is that they've been let down -both by the west, and their government.
EDIT 18-08-2021: In response to a comment below, adding some more sources that perhaps reflect the popular sentiment in Afghanistan
- Demonstrations in Jalalabad in favour of the afghan flag
- Demonstations in Khost against the Taliban
- Flag hoisting at Nangrahar
- Protests and firing in Jalalabad
- Restoration of the afghan flag in Jalalabad
- Women protestors in Kabul
- Protests in Kunar province: rehoisting of flag and demonstrations
Some signs that behind all the PR, the Taliban are still the same
- Erasure of women's faces from public bilboards
- Public Executions at stadium in Kandahar
and some signs that the war is not yet fully won by the Taliban:
- Resistance to Taliban