2nd ODI: Yashasvi Jaiswal fails in rare chance, Prince Yadav makes debut
India reshuffled their XI for the second ODI in Lucknow, handing Prince Yadav a debut and Yashasvi Jaiswal an opening role. Nitish Kumar Reddy's injury scare forced the late changes.
India made three changes to their playing XI for the second ODI against Afghanistan on a hot Wednesday afternoon in Lucknow. While fast bowler Prince Yadav received his maiden cap from vice-captain Shreyas Iyer before the toss, skipper Shubman Gill confirmed two more changes after Afghanistan opted to bowl.
IND vs AFG, 2nd ODI Score | Updates
While Delhi fast bowler Prince Yadav getting a game at his IPL home ground is a welcome sign, there was concerning news from the Indian camp as Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out with yet another injury scare. It forced India to tinker with their combination. In the absence of their all-rounder, India added depth to their batting unit by giving Yashasvi Jaiswal an opportunity.
Yashasvi was slotted in to open the batting alongside Rohit Sharma, while captain Gill moved down to No. 3.
YASHASVI FAILS
However, the young opener failed to make use of the opportunity. After playing out a maiden while facing mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar in the first over of the contest, Yashasvi was dismissed in the third over.
The left-handed opener cut fast bowler Saleem Safi straight into the hands of the point fielder after getting off the mark with a boundary. Incidentally, Yashasvi had played a similar shot off the previous delivery for four, but he was unable to get it past the fielder this time around.
Yashasvi looked gutted as he made the slow walk back to the pavilion. It was his first opportunity in ODI cricket since December 2025, and it came only after he was drafted into the squad in the absence of Virat Kohli. In the series opener in Dharamsala, he warmed the bench, but the injury concern surrounding Nitish Kumar Reddy opened the door for him.
PRINCE'S SPECIAL MOMENT
Meanwhile, Prince received his maiden India cap from Shreyas Iyer, the vice-captain of the ODI team.
The right-arm fast bowler from Delhi has emerged as a major bright spot for Lucknow Super Giants, providing a breakthrough season during the 2026 IPL. Originally signed by the franchise as a net bowler before making his debut in 2025, the 24-year-old Delhi domestic cricketer spearheaded LSG's bowling attack by claiming 16 wickets in 14 matches.
Yadav rattled opposition line-ups with his raw pace and precise variations, highlighting his campaign with a spectacular delivery to dismiss Virat Kohli. He also recorded career-best figures of 3 for 32 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
His consistent performances in domestic cricket and the IPL culminated in this proud milestone.
INJURY WOES FOR NITISH?
India will be concerned by the frequent injury setbacks suffered by Nitish Kumar Reddy, whom they are trying to groom as a reliable fast-bowling all-rounder. Nitish was expected to get a good run in the series after Hardik Pandya was ruled out through injury. He played the one-off Test in New Chandigarh and was also part of the series opener in Dharamsala.
However, he missed Wednesday's outing due to a sore left thigh, the BCCI confirmed.
Like many fast-bowling all-rounders, Nitish Kumar Reddy has already endured a fair share of fitness issues early in his career. Last year, a knee injury prematurely ended his tour of England, forcing him out of the final two Test matches.
The national selectors have been monitoring him closely because the workload associated with his dual role inherently places significant strain on his body.
INDIA XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Ishan Kishan (wickekteeper), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.
AFGHANISTAN XI: 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.
India made three changes to their playing XI for the second ODI against Afghanistan on a hot Wednesday afternoon in Lucknow. While fast bowler Prince Yadav received his maiden cap from vice-captain Shreyas Iyer before the toss, skipper Shubman Gill confirmed two more changes after Afghanistan opted to bowl.
IND vs AFG, 2nd ODI Score | Updates
While Delhi fast bowler Prince Yadav getting a game at his IPL home ground is a welcome sign, there was concerning news from the Indian camp as Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out with yet another injury scare. It forced India to tinker with their combination. In the absence of their all-rounder, India added depth to their batting unit by giving Yashasvi Jaiswal an opportunity.
Yashasvi was slotted in to open the batting alongside Rohit Sharma, while captain Gill moved down to No. 3.
YASHASVI FAILS
However, the young opener failed to make use of the opportunity. After playing out a maiden while facing mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar in the first over of the contest, Yashasvi was dismissed in the third over.
The left-handed opener cut fast bowler Saleem Safi straight into the hands of the point fielder after getting off the mark with a boundary. Incidentally, Yashasvi had played a similar shot off the previous delivery for four, but he was unable to get it past the fielder this time around.
Yashasvi looked gutted as he made the slow walk back to the pavilion. It was his first opportunity in ODI cricket since December 2025, and it came only after he was drafted into the squad in the absence of Virat Kohli. In the series opener in Dharamsala, he warmed the bench, but the injury concern surrounding Nitish Kumar Reddy opened the door for him.
PRINCE'S SPECIAL MOMENT
Meanwhile, Prince received his maiden India cap from Shreyas Iyer, the vice-captain of the ODI team.
The right-arm fast bowler from Delhi has emerged as a major bright spot for Lucknow Super Giants, providing a breakthrough season during the 2026 IPL. Originally signed by the franchise as a net bowler before making his debut in 2025, the 24-year-old Delhi domestic cricketer spearheaded LSG's bowling attack by claiming 16 wickets in 14 matches.
Yadav rattled opposition line-ups with his raw pace and precise variations, highlighting his campaign with a spectacular delivery to dismiss Virat Kohli. He also recorded career-best figures of 3 for 32 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
His consistent performances in domestic cricket and the IPL culminated in this proud milestone.
INJURY WOES FOR NITISH?
India will be concerned by the frequent injury setbacks suffered by Nitish Kumar Reddy, whom they are trying to groom as a reliable fast-bowling all-rounder. Nitish was expected to get a good run in the series after Hardik Pandya was ruled out through injury. He played the one-off Test in New Chandigarh and was also part of the series opener in Dharamsala.
However, he missed Wednesday's outing due to a sore left thigh, the BCCI confirmed.
Like many fast-bowling all-rounders, Nitish Kumar Reddy has already endured a fair share of fitness issues early in his career. Last year, a knee injury prematurely ended his tour of England, forcing him out of the final two Test matches.
The national selectors have been monitoring him closely because the workload associated with his dual role inherently places significant strain on his body.
INDIA XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Ishan Kishan (wickekteeper), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.
AFGHANISTAN XI: 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.
