After hammering Afghanistan convincingly in the one-off Test match by an innings and 300 runs, India will host Hashmatullah Shahidi’s side for a three-match ODI series.
The first of the three ODIs will be played in Dharamsala at the HPCA Stadium on June 13.
From the original 15-man India squad named by the BCCI for the IND vs AFG ODI series, two key, first-choice players, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya, have been ruled out due to a hamstring injury and a leg strain, respectively.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been confirmed as Kohli’s replacement, although many expected Ruturaj Gaikwad to be named as his ODI century against South Africa in December came from the No. 4 spot. Jaiswal is anyway unlikely to play in any position apart from the opening spots, which are confirmed to be Rohit Sharma’s and Shubman Gill’s.
The BCCI is yet to name a replacement for Pandya, though Nitish Kumar Reddy is already in the squad.
Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, and Axar Patel are not part of the squad. The bowling attack will be led by Arshdeep Singh, with Prasidh Krishna as the second pacer.
Three uncapped players have been picked in the ODI squad: fast bowlers Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar and left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey. Prince, fresh off an impressive IPL season, could be seen making his ODI debut against Afghanistan as early as in the 1st ODI in Dharamsala.
The spin attack comprises Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar. Harsh is unlikely to feature in Dharamsala but has good chances of getting his maiden ODI cap in either Lucknow or Chennai.
IND vs AFG: Who will bat at No. 3 in the absence of Virat Kohli against Afghanistan?
In the ODIs against Afghanistan, Ishan Kishan is the likeliest candidate to take the No. 3 position as Virat Kohli is ruled out owing to an injury. Kishan has stormed back into the ODI side, having last played an ODI during the World Cup 2023. Kishan has cemented his place as No. 3 in the T20I already.
The BCCI added Jaiswal as Kohli’s replacement, leaving Kishan as the frontrunner for Kohli’s spot in the IND vs AFG ODI series.
IND vs AFG: India Playing XI For 1st ODI Against Afghanistan – Predicted
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Prince Yadav
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