India hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and will eye a clean sweep as they face Afghanistan in the third and final ODI at Chennai. The hosts have completely outclassed the visitors so far, following up a comfortable seven-wicket win in Dharamshala with a massive 170-run victory in Lucknow.
While captain Shubman Gill is in blistering form—having smashed a spectacular 154 in the previous game—India’s management might look to experiment with their bench strength. Fast bowler Harshit Rana has been added to the squad following his successful rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and could feature in the XI. On the other hand, Hashmatullah Shahidi‘s Afghanistan will play for pride, desperate to correct their batting collapses and pose a sterner challenge against a formidable Indian line-up.
IND vs AFG, 3rd ODI: Match Details
- Date and Time: June 20, 1:30 PM IST / 8:00 AM GMT
- Venue: Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
IND vs AFG Head-to-Head Record in ODIs
Matches Played: 6 | India Won: 5 | Afghanistan Won: 0 | Tied: 1
MA Chidambaram Stadium Pitch Report
The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai traditionally offers a dry, abrasive surface that strongly favors slower bowlers and spinners as the match progresses. While the new ball might slide onto the bat cleanly during the powerplay, the pitch is expected to slow down significantly, making run-scoring an arduous task during the middle overs due to variable bounce and turn. Given the hot and humid Chennai weather, the track can become increasingly sluggish. Captains winning the toss generally prefer to bat first to post a competitive total and avoid chasing on a deteriorating, spin-friendly surface in the second innings.
Squads
India: Shubman Gill (c), Shreyas Iyer (vc), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Darwish Rasooli, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Mohammad Saleem
Also READ: Mohit Sharma predicts India’s playing XI for ODI World Cup 2027; Kuldeep Yadav misses out
IND vs AFG, 3rd ODI, Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- India wins the toss and bowls first
- Afghanistan’s powerplay score: 40-50
- Afghanistan’s total score: 250-270
Case 2:
- Afghanistan wins the toss and bowls first
- India’s powerplay score: 50-60
- India’s total score: 300-340
Match Result: Team bowling first to win the contest
Also READ: Star pacer returns as India update squad for the third ODI against Afghanistan
