Nitish Kumar Reddy Misses Second ODI as India Aims for Series Win Against Afghanistan
Nitish Kumar Reddy's Absence in Second ODI
In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was unable to participate in the second ODI against Afghanistan due to a sore left thigh. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on social media that Reddy was not available for selection and that their medical team is keeping an eye on his recovery.
Young fast bowler Prince Yadav made his ODI debut in this match, while Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav returned to the lineup, replacing Harsh Dubey and Prasidh Krishna.
India batted first and, thanks to impressive centuries from Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, managed to score 402 runs.
The innings began with Yashasvi Jaiswal and experienced player Rohit Sharma. Mohammad Saleem Safi claimed the first wicket by dismissing Jaiswal in his opening over.
Gill joined Sharma at the crease, and the former captain quickly accelerated his scoring. He struck six fours and two sixes before being bowled by Rashid Khan for 48 runs.
Kishan entered the game at number four and maintained the momentum with his aggressive batting.
Gill reached his fifty with a six off Nangeyalia Kharote in the 17th over and followed it up with two more boundaries in Safi's next over.
In the 33rd over, Bilal Sami bowled, and Gill celebrated his ninth ODI century with a boundary on the first ball. This marked his first century since taking over as ODI captain.
Kishan also completed his century, hitting three consecutive boundaries in Sami's over. He scored 125 runs off just 79 balls, including 14 fours and seven sixes.
The pair formed a formidable partnership, adding 224 runs for the third wicket until Kharote ended it in the 37th over. Iyer then contributed 40 runs alongside Gill.
Gill surpassed the 150-run mark with a single off Allah Ghazanfar in the 42nd over but was dismissed while attempting a big shot against Kharote in the 43rd over, finishing with 154 runs off 110 balls.
KL Rahul was dismissed for a golden duck, while Iyer scored 26 runs before falling to Kharote.
Washington Sundar's late contribution of 19 runs helped India surpass the 400-run mark, with the team all out in 49.5 overs, setting a target of 403 runs for Afghanistan.
Rashid Khan took three wickets, while Kharote claimed four for Afghanistan, with Ghazanfar and Safi each taking one wicket.
India leads the three-match ODI series 1-0 and aims to secure the series with a win in Lucknow, while Afghanistan seeks a victory to stay competitive in the series.