IND vs AFG 2nd ODI: Shubman Gill and Co. Aim to Seal Series in Lucknow
Hello friends, after a dominant seven-wicket win in Dharamshala, Team India is in Lucknow for the second ODI against Afghanistan. The match starts at 1:30 PM IST at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on June 17, 2026.
India leads the three-match series 1-0. A win today means the series is sealed.
What Happened in 1st ODI?
Rain reduced the game to 25 overs. Afghanistan batted first and were bowled out for 194 in 24.5 overs.
The story was the debutants. Gurnoor Brar, the Gujarat Titans pacer, dismissed Ibrahim Zadran on the fifth ball of his first over. He came back at the death to remove Rashid Khan and Zia Ur Rahman, finishing with 3/27.
Harsh Dubey, another debutant, also took 3 wickets. Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy took two each.
In the chase, captain Shubman Gill played a masterclass – 84 not out off 66 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes. Ishan Kishan smashed 34 off 22, and KL Rahul finished with 39* off 19. India chased it in 22.5 overs with 13 balls to spare.
Players to Watch Today
1. Shubman Gill
Gill is in the form of his life. Test century against Afghanistan last week, then 84* in the first ODI. As captain, he looks calm. He has scored 847 runs in his last 12 ODIs at an average of 77. Lucknow is a batting-friendly pitch – expect another fifty.
2. Gurnoor Brar
The 24-year-old from Punjab made an instant impact. His first over wicket of Zadran set the tone. He bowls at 140+ kph and hits the deck hard – perfect for Ekana's bounce. Gujarat Titans have already posted about his debut on Instagram. Today, he will be hunting Rashid Khan again.
3. Washington Sundar & Prasidh Krishna
Both are also Gujarat Titans players in this squad. Sundar gives control in middle overs, Prasidh provides height and bounce. With Kuldeep Yadav six wickets away from 200 ODI wickets, the spin-pace combo will be key.
Head-to-Head Record
India and Afghanistan have met 5 times in ODIs:
- India won: 4
- Tied: 1 (2018 Asia Cup)
- Afghanistan won: 0
India has never lost to Afghanistan in ODIs. The last meeting before this series was the 2023 World Cup, where India won by 8 wickets.
Squads
India: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharotai, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman, Fareed Malik, Bilal Sami, Mohammad Saleem
Milestones to Watch
- Shreyas Iyer needs 11 runs for 3,000 ODI runs
- Ishan Kishan needs 33 runs for 1,000 ODI runs
- Kuldeep Yadav needs 6 wickets for 200 ODI wickets
Pitch and Weather
Ekana Stadium, Lucknow, usually helps pacers early, then becomes good for batting. Average first innings score here is 287. No rain forecast – full 50-over game expected.
Where to Watch
TV: Star Sports 1, Star Sports Hindi
Streaming: JioHotstar app and website
Time: 1:30 PM IST, toss at 1:00 PM
My Prediction
India will win. Afghanistan depends too much on Rashid Khan and Nabi. Without early wickets, they struggle. With Gill in form and Brar's confidence high, India should chase anything under 280 or defend 300+ easily.
Expect India to win by 5-6 wickets or 60+ runs and seal the series 2-0.
What do you think – will Gurnoor take another 3-fer today? Comment below.
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