New Delhi. The Indian men’s cricket team, which has already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, will face Afghanistan in the third and final ODI on Saturday (June 20) at the historic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Under the captaincy of young captain Shubman Gill, the ‘Men in Blue’ will aim to maintain their dominance in this last match also. By winning this match, India will take the field with the intention of making a ‘clean sweep’ in its first historic bilateral ODI series against Afghanistan. On the other hand, the Afghan team captained by Hashmatullah Shahidi will try its best to save face and end the series with a win.
Just before this final match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday included young Delhi fast bowler Harshit Rana in the team to strengthen the team’s fast bowling attack. In such a situation, there is every possibility that Harshit Rana may get a place in the playing eleven in the match to be held on Saturday. Talking about Harshit Rana’s international career, he made his international debut in the Perth Test against Australia in November 2024. After this, he was last seen in the Indian jersey in February 2026, when he played a warm-up match against South Africa before the T20 World Cup 2026 in Navi Mumbai. Unfortunately, he got injured during the same match and had to be ruled out of the entire World Cup tournament. Now Harshit, who is returning to the team after a long time, will have a great opportunity to prove himself.
Harshit Rana can be included in the playing eleven in the third ODI.
It is expected that Harshit Rana may be included in the team in place of left-arm star fast bowler Arshdeep Singh. Arshdeep has bowled brilliantly in the first two matches of the series. He took two wickets in the rain-affected first ODI, while in the second match he broke the back of Afghan batting by taking three wickets. However, keeping in mind the upcoming busy international season and workload management, the team management can give rest to Arshdeep in this match, which will pave the way for Rana to play.
Apart from this, another big change in the team can be seen in the all-rounder department. Fast bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy performed brilliantly in the first ODI, taking two wickets in his quota of four overs. But, due to injury he was not available for selection for the second match. In the absence of Reddy, Yashasvi Jaiswal got a chance in the playing eleven as an opener in the second ODI, but he returned to the pavilion after scoring only four runs. If Nitish Kumar Reddy is declared fully fit, then he will replace Jaiswal in the team. With the arrival of Reddy, captain Shubman Gill will once again be able to move away from the middle order and return to his favorite opening position in the top order.
Talking about the other front of bowling, India’s leading spinner Kuldeep Yadav did not get a single success in the second ODI played at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Despite this, considering the traditionally spin-friendly pitch of Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, Kuldeep’s place in the playing eleven is considered confirmed. Meanwhile, there is also a question in the minds of cricket fans whether Vidarbha’s emerging spinner Harsh Dubey will get a chance again. Harsh Dubey created a sensation by taking three wickets in his debut ODI match played in Dharamshala, but due to strategic reasons, he was dropped from the playing eleven of the second match. If the team management in Chennai decides to try him, then either Gurnoor Brar or Prince Yadav may have to sit out, although the chances of this seem quite slim at the moment.
Talking about the Indian batting department, there does not seem to be any scope for any major changes in it, but all eyes will be on vice-captain Shreyas Iyer. Iyer made a good start in both the matches of the series, but he failed to convert his innings into a big score. At the end of this month, the Indian team has to go on a tour of United Kingdom (UK), where Shreyas Iyer will start his new journey as the captain of the Indian T20 team. In such a situation, before leaving for the foreign tour, Iyer would like to take his confidence to the next level by playing a big innings in Chennai.
India’s probable playing eleven for the third ODI
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav.
