India Makes Key Changes for Third ODI Against Afghanistan
Team Adjustments Ahead of the Match
The Indian cricket team has implemented three significant changes to their lineup for the third ODI against Afghanistan. KL Rahul, along with Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav, has been rested. In their place, Prasidh Krishna, Harsh Dubey, and Nitish Kumar Reddy have been included in the squad. Dubey had previously participated in the series opener held in Dharamsala, while Nitish also played in the first ODI but missed the second due to a thigh injury. Prasidh was also part of the initial match of the season. The decision to rest Rahul has drawn criticism from Dodda Ganesh, who expressed that it was illogical, stating, "KL Rahul didn’t need this rest. He’s played only 20 balls in the series. Absolutely makes zero sense," on social media.
In the matches he played, Rahul faced challenges, remaining not out on 39 runs from 19 balls in the first ODI as India successfully chased a target of 195 in just 22.5 overs, with the match being reduced to 25 overs per side due to rain. Unfortunately, he was dismissed for a duck in the second ODI.
Currently, Rahul is not part of the T20I squad and will have a few weeks off before returning to the field. After the Afghanistan ODI series concludes, the Indian team will head to Ireland for two T20 matches. Following that, they will travel to England for five T20Is and three ODIs, scheduled for July 14, 16, and 19 in Edgbaston, Cardiff, and London, respectively. Rahul has not participated in T20I matches since the 2022 World Cup, where he served as vice-captain during the team's 10-wicket loss to England in the semi-finals.
Playing XIs for Both Teams
India: Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince YadavAfghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik