Nitish Kumar Reddy Misses ODI Due to Injury as India Sets Record Score

Nitish Kumar Reddy's Injury Update

India's all-rounder, Nitish Kumar Reddy, was unable to participate in the second ODI against Afghanistan at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow due to a sore left thigh. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced this update on social media, stating, "Nitish Kumar Reddy was unavailable for selection for the second ODI due to a sore left thigh. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress."

India's Batting Dominance

In a thrilling match, young seamer Prince Yadav made his ODI debut, while Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav returned to the lineup, replacing Harsh Dubey and Prasidh Krishna. India opted to bat first and, powered by impressive centuries from Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, amassed a total of 402 runs.

The innings began with Yashasvi Jaiswal and veteran Rohit Sharma at the crease. Mohammad Saleem Safi struck first, dismissing Jaiswal in his opening over. Gill then joined Sharma, who accelerated his scoring, hitting six fours and two sixes before being bowled by Rashid Khan for 48 runs.

Kishan entered the match at number four, contributing significantly with aggressive shots. Gill reached his fifty with a six off Nangeyalia Kharote in the 17th over and followed it up with two more fours in the next over bowled by Safi.

In the 33rd over, Bilal Sami bowled, and Gill secured his 9th ODI century with a boundary. This marked his first ODI hundred since becoming the ODI captain. Kishan also completed his century, hitting three consecutive boundaries in Sami's final over, marking his second ODI century. After reaching fifty in 52 balls, he scored an additional 53 runs off just 19 deliveries.

Record Partnership Fuels India's Innings

The partnership between Gill and Kishan was remarkable, as they added 224 runs for the third wicket before Kharote ended their collaboration in the 37th over. Kishan finished with an impressive 125 runs off 79 balls, including 14 fours and seven sixes.

Shreyas Iyer followed and contributed 40 runs for the fourth wicket alongside Gill. Gill surpassed the 150-run mark with a single off Allah Ghazanfar in the 42nd over. He was eventually dismissed while attempting a big shot against Kharote in the 43rd over, scoring 154 runs off 110 balls with 22 fours and two sixes.

KL Rahul was dismissed for a golden duck, while Iyer managed 26 runs off 24 balls before losing his wicket to Kharote. Washington Sundar played a crucial role in helping India exceed the 400-run mark, scoring 19 runs as India was all out for 402 runs in 49.5 overs, setting a target of 403 runs for Afghanistan.

Rashid Khan claimed three wickets, while Kharote took four for Afghanistan. Ghazanfar and Safi each contributed with one wicket.

Afghanistan's Challenge

With the series currently in favor of India, leading 1-0 in the three-match ODI series, the hosts aim to secure the series with a win in Lucknow. Conversely, Afghanistan is in dire need of a victory to keep their hopes alive in the series.