In the third and final ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai on Saturday, India will aim for significant runs from KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal in addition to a series clean sweep that will extend their domination.
Rahul’s place in the one-day team has never really been in question, although Jaiswal would appreciate a serious setback to solidify his position in the extremely competitive top order.
For the first time since December 2025, Jaiswal returned to the 50-over format. In the second encounter against the Afghans at Lucknow, he was removed for four. In his last appearance, the left-hander scored an undefeated 116 against South Africa at Visakhapatnam, but since then, Ishan Kishan’s return has given the top-order spots another contender.
With a century in Lucknow, Kishan did not damage his reputation, and captain Shubman Gill moved down to No. 3 to make room for Jaiswal.
However, the batting sensation will undoubtedly take the No. 3 spot after Virat Kohli recovers from his hamstring injury. Gill is forced to resume starting the innings with Rohit Sharma.
Given that Kishan and Shreyas Iyer are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, Jaiswal must take advantage of the few possibilities that present itself.
For any batter, let alone one as gifted as Jaiswal, it’s a cramped and unpleasant situation, but at this point, the team combination ritual is an all-consuming maze.
Additionally, Jaiswal needs to score a lot because India’s ODI team for their three-match trip of England will soon be revealed, and a merciless and quick-witted selection panel led by Ajit Agarkar might not take another mistake well.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to believe that Jaiswal must earn his fortune on his own in order to be in the running for an ODI ticket, especially if anyone in the top three is concerned about their fitness.
Rahul makes a very different argument. Iyer’s comeback to the India lineup after a long absence means that, unless Kishan, the current No. 4, moves up to opener for some reason, the 34-year-old will have to bat mostly at No. 6, giving the team management the option to automatically elevate the pair up the order.
Rahul’s stellar stats—1517 runs from 38 games at an average of 63.2 overs with three hundreds and ten fifties—show that No. 5 has long been his comfort zone. It accounts for almost half of his career statistics. Rahul’s stats at six—332 runs from 15 games at 41.5 with a single fifty—are respectable but not particularly impressive. However, another contender has arrived for that spot.
It’s mostly because he won’t have many overs to play from the No. 6 spot, but he needs to become used to hitting fast fifties or take comfort in using the cameos to calculate the team total.
After completing his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, India added Harshit Rana to the team ahead of the Chennai ODI. However, he is unlikely to participate since Arshdeep Singh, who has played two games in this series, may be replaced by all-rounder Nitish Reddy.
However, thus far in this series, Afghanistan has been completely outplayed in both the red and white ball forms. Even if they don’t win, they will be excited to finish the series with greater effort.
Their reputation as a cunning white ball team has been damaged thus far by their performances in both ODIs. However, the tourists will have to put in more effort in the bowling and batting departments to do that.
India vs Afghanistan Head-to-Head:
In its six ODI encounters with Afghanistan, India has won five of them, with one ending in a tie. Afghanistan has never defeated India in the ODI format.
India vs Afghanistan Pitch Report:
Traditionally, the Chennai surface is a balanced track that is ideal for batting at first but gradually gets better for spinners. With the new ball, fast bowlers receive early support, but as the game progresses, spinners become increasingly important. Before making big shots, batters must settle in.
India vs Afghanistan Weather Report:
Temperatures in Chennai is predicted to be between 33°C and 35°C, making it hot and muggy. There will probably be cloud cover during the day, but there is little risk of rain (10–20%), so there shouldn’t be any significant disruptions to the game.
India vs Afghanistan Probable XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Saleem, AM Ghazanfar, Ziaur Rahman
FAQs:
When is the 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan scheduled?
The 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan is scheduled on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
What time does the 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan scheduled to start?
The 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan will start at 1:30 PM IST.
Where is the 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan scheduled to take place?
The 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan is scheduled to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Which TV channel will broadcast the 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan?
The 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan will be broadcast on Star Sports Network.
Where can one catch the live streaming of the 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan?
The live streaming of the 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan will be available on JioHotstar.
