India captain Shubman Gill and Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi made three changes each to their line-ups for the second ODI in Lucknow.
Prince Yadav Handed ODI Debut at IPL Home Ground
Pacer Prince Yadav received his ODI debut cap at the home ground of his Indian Premier League franchise, Lucknow Super Giants, with vice-captain Shreyas Iyer presenting the cap ahead of the match.
Nitish Kumar Reddy was unavailable for selection due to a quadriceps issue.
Kuldeep Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal were also brought into the side, with Harsh Dubey and Prasidh Krishna making way.
Afghanistan Opt to Bowl After Winning Toss
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and chose to bowl first at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Shahidi also made three changes to his team, with Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi all missing out. Nabi was ruled out due to illness, while Omarzai sustained an injury during the first ODI.
Darwish Rasooli was handed his ODI debut cap, while Bilal Sami and Nangeyalia Kharoti also came into the side for the must-win encounter.
India vs Afghanistan 2nd ODI: Playing XIs
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Bilal Sami.
Why Were Prasidh Krishna and Harsh Dubey Dropped?
In the rain-shortened first ODI, which was reduced to 25 overs per side, Prasidh Krishna went wicketless and conceded 35 runs from his four overs, costing him his place in the XI. Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey claimed three wickets but proved expensive, giving away 47 runs from his five overs. For Afghanistan, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi was the player to miss out despite dismissing Shreyas Iyer in the previous match. He conceded 39 runs from his four-over spell.
Debutants Bring Strong Domestic Records
Darwish Rasooli has already represented Afghanistan in 28 T20Is and has scored four half-centuries in the format. In List A cricket, he has accumulated 3,022 runs in 66 innings at an impressive average of 54.94, including 10 centuries and 19 fifties. Prince Yadav, meanwhile, has taken 29 wickets in 14 List A matches at an average of just over 20, including one five-wicket haul.
The Prince Yadav Delivery That Dismissed Virat Kohli
Before earning his maiden ODI call-up, Prince Yadav had already made headlines during IPL 2026 after clean-bowling Royal Challengers Bengaluru star Virat Kohli for a two-ball duck. The dismissal came during Lucknow Super Giants’ meeting with RCB at the same Ekana Cricket Stadium, where the 24-year-old Delhi pacer first set Kohli up with an outswinger before delivering a sharp 140.4 kph ball that jagged back in and crashed into the stumps.
Remarkably, the wicket came using advice Kohli himself had once shared with the young fast bowler.
During an earlier interaction between the two Delhi teammates, Prince had asked Kohli for guidance on how to bowl to him. Kohli advised the youngster to remain disciplined and maintain a consistent off-stump line whenever there was movement off the pitch rather than experimenting excessively.
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