India and Afghanistan are set to clash in the second One Day International (ODI) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, June 17. India aims to win this match to secure the series early.
In the first ODI held in Dharamshala, India achieved a convincing seven-wicket win over Afghanistan, successfully chasing 195 runs in a rain-affected match.
IND vs AFG: Toss Update
Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, won the toss and chose to bowl first. He noted the pitch looks fresh and may assist spin bowlers in the initial innings. Indian captain Shubman Gill also preferred to bowl first but will now aim to set a target that can be defended.
IND vs AFG: India makes three changes
India has made three changes to their lineup due to fitness issues. Kuldeep Yadav, the team’s main spinner, returns in place of Harsh Dubey. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Prince Yadav have also been included, replacing Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prasidh Krishna, the latter of whom is making his international debut.
Captains’ Remarks
Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan Captain
“We want to bowl first because the wicket appears fresh, and it should spin in the first innings. In the last match, we struggled with partnerships, only having one strong collaboration before losing wickets easily. Our players have a lot of passion for cricket, and we hope to improve. We have made three changes due to illness and injury.”
Shubman Gill, India Captain
“We would have also bowled first based on our strategy. With only five bowlers available, we have to adapt to difficult situations. Prince is making his debut today, and we have welcomed Kuldeep and Jaiswal as well.”
IND vs AFG: Playing XIs
India:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav
Afghanistan:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Bilal Sami