Before the ongoing Afghanistan ODI series, Shubman Gill was yet to win an ODI bilateral as an Indian captain. His team performed mediocrely in Australia before wasting a 1-0 lead to New Zealand and enduring a painful 2-1 loss at home earlier this year. But now, he just hasn’t won the series against Afghanistan but is on the verge of becoming one of the few Indian captains to enjoy a whitewash in ODIs.
India have been phenomenal in this series, nearly flawless. The series opener in Dharamsala was reduced to 25 overs per-side and India chased down a comfortable total after Gurnoor Brar had an exciting debut. Then, India took an unassailable lead in Lucknow, where Gill scored a masterful century. India mauled Afghanistan after scoring 402 runs, including a ton by Ishan Kishan too.
Rohit Sharma’s checkmark needed
Gill is currently in the peak of his powers. Kishan has given a selection headache to selectors. KL Rahul has owned the No. 5/6 role. But India would still want a few things from the series. The biggest intrigue will be on Rohit Sharma. The Hitman, who missed a few IPL 2026 games due to a hamstring struggle, has looked good in the series so far.
He was run out in the first ODI before making a solid 39-ball 48 in Lucknow. You’d think that there won’t be pressure on Rohit. But there is. He isn’t a captain anymore. With him being 40 years old in less than 10 months from now, age is clearly not on his side. That fearless and ultra-aggressive approach that made him a dynamite in the powerplay just isn’t there as well.
With him eyeing being part of the ODI World Cup 2027, Rohit needs to dominate in every series. This year, he just has 125 runs at an average of 25 to his name in five ODI appearances. His strike rate of 92.59 isn’t imposing enough too. In each of his last four years, Rohit has enjoyed scoring more than a run a ball.
He almost got a fifty in Lucknow and was looking sumptuous despite getting hit on the wrist a game prior. Unlike many other players of his age, Rohit has incredibly reinvented his fitness, losing a few kilos. He still has that match-changing aura and game. Just to quiet critics, the Mumbai Indians star needs a big score on Saturday.
Most ODI Runs for India since 2025
| Player | Inns | Runs | HS | Average | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 16 | 891 | 135 | 68.53 | 98.45 | 4 | 5 |
| Shubman Gill | 16 | 863 | 154 | 61.64 | 99.19 | 3 | 5 |
| Rohit Sharma | 19 | 775 | 121* | 43.05 | 99.10 | 2 | 4 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 15 | 594 | 79 | 39.60 | 89.05 | 0 | 5 |
| KL Rahul | 16 | 548 | 112* | 60.88 | 114.40 | 1 | 2 |
Harshit Rana to play IND vs AFG 3rd ODI?
Harshit Rana’s late addition to India’s squad has raised one question: will he actually play in the third ODI against Afghanistan? The answer is likely yes.
After all, there would be little point in flying Rana to Chennai merely to sit on the bench for a dead rubber. The pacer has spent the last few months recovering from the knee injury that ruled him out of the T20 World Cup and IPL 2026. Now fully fit, the team management would want to assess where he stands before a packed white-ball calendar that includes Ireland, England and the Asian Games.
The most straightforward way to accommodate him would be to rest Arshdeep Singh. The left-armer has already played both ODIs, picking up five wickets, and remains part of India’s plans for the upcoming two T20Is against Ireland and five-match T20I series against England. Managing his workload ahead of that assignment makes complete sense. Arshdeep is most likely to be part of the three ODIs against England as well, where Virat Kohli should make his comeback.
Rana could be rusting. But he needs to be in the plans, which he is basically. A bustling pacer, who hits the deck hard and is an able number eight batter as well. It’s a perfect template for conditions which India will face at the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. Last year, Rana was superb in the format as well. In fact, he was India’s leading wicket-taker in the format with a superb bowling SR of 25.5.
Leading ODI Wicket-Takers for India in 2025
| Player | Innings | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harshit Rana | 11 | 20 | 4/39 | 25.55 | 6.01 | 25.5 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 11 | 19 | 4/41 | 29.00 | 5.28 | 32.8 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 10 | 12 | 3/26 | 33.41 | 4.66 | 43.0 |
| Mohammed Shami | 7 | 11 | 5/53 | 30.63 | 5.92 | 31.0 |
| Axar Patel | 11 | 11 | 2/22 | 34.27 | 4.47 | 46.0 |
There could be another change too. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who missed the second ODI due to a quad injury, is expected to return if declared fit. The all-rounder impressed in the series opener with two wickets and gives India far more balance than an additional specialist batter. His comeback could see Yashasvi Jaiswal make way, allowing captain Shubman Gill to move back to the top of the order.
With India already having sealed the series, Chennai presents the perfect opportunity to look at Rana. If the selectors and team management truly view him as part of their plans for the 2027 World Cup cycle, this is the ideal moment to hand him the ball once again.
Predicted India Playing XI vs Afghanistan – 3rd ODI
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav
Cricket
All eyes on Rohit Sharma and Harshit Rana as Gill's India look to whitewash Afghanistan
