With the ODI series now secured, the Team India entered the third and final ODI against Afghanistan With an opportunity to test the depth of the squad and experiment with different combinations at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The hosts have dominated throughout the series with convincing wins in both Dharamshala and Lucknow to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
Ahead of the dead rubber, India opted to make several changes to their playing XI as part of their workload management strategy. The team management has consistently emphasized the importance of giving opportunities to the players in the team, especially with a packed international calendar expected in the second half of the year. Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bowl first, while the Indian skipper Shubman Gill revealed three changes, including the return of Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Why is KL Rahul not playing today’s match against Afghanistan in 3rd ODI?
One of the most talked about points before the start of the match was the absence of the great goalkeeper. KL Rahul From India’s 11th over. However, Rahul’s exclusion is not due to any injury or fitness concerns. The experienced striker has been rested as part of India’s rotation policy, with the team management looking to provide opportunities to other players in the squad.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate India had already announced before the match that they would make a few changes in the final ODI. He explained that the coaching staff wants to evaluate different combinations and ensure that more players get playing time during the series. Since India had already wrapped up the series, the management decided to rest Rahul and bring back all-rounder Reddy to strengthen the balance of the team.
Rahul had mixed fortunes in the first two ODIs. He played an all-important unbeaten knock of 39 off just 19 overs in the opening match in Dharamshala, helping India complete the chase comfortably. However, India endured a disappointing outing in Lucknow, falling to a golden duck despite a mammoth total. Nevertheless, Rahul remains one of India’s most reliable ODI performers, having amassed 3,300 runs at an average of 50 overs in the format.
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As India turns its resources, Nitish Kumar Reddy returns
While Rahul was rested, all-rounder Reddy returned to the XI after missing the previous game. His inclusion provides India with additional batting depth and another seam-bowling option, giving the side more flexibility in future assignments. India also provided opportunities Prasidh Krishna and Tough Dubey as part of the rotation policy.
Management chose to rest key players and evaluate backup options, which is consistent with their long-term planning approach. Yashasvi Jaiswal he kept his place at the top of the order Rohit Sharmawhile Ishan Kishi continued behind the stumps.
Speaking at the toss, Gill admitted that India would have preferred to bat first, but saw the chase as a useful opportunity to improve on an area where they had failed to test extensively during the series. With the series already in the bag, the final ODI offers India a chance to assess their squad depth while maintaining momentum ahead of upcoming international commitments.
India’s 11th over: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav
Afghanistan’s 11th squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashemtullah Shahidi(c), Darvish Rasuli, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rehman Sharif, Farid Ahmad Malik
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