With the three-match ODI series already in the bag, India will host Afghanistan on Saturday at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium with an eye on long-term gains.

The Shubman Gill-led side has been dominant across the first two games, but the management will want certain individuals — notably Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal — to make a greater impact, while also tracking the development of players like Ishan Kishan and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who are expected to play key roles in the next couple of years.

Rohit has scored 64 runs across the two games, while Jaiswal managed just four in the second ODI. India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that the team will stick with the same top three from Lucknow, meaning Rohit and Jaiswal are likely to open again, with Gill at No. 3.

On the eve of the match, both openers spent a long time in the nets, alternating between attacking strokes and defensive nudges, looking to produce a stronger outing than in the previous games.

In the longer run, both are effectively fighting for places in India’s ODI setup, with Kishan emerging as a serious contender thanks to his ability to bat across positions and keep wickets. The 27-year-old has moved ahead of Rishabh Pant in the white-ball pecking order, though KL Rahul remains India’s first-choice keeper-batter.

“We feel the template for this format is to have players who still go after it. He is a very versatile cricketer. He can bat at the top of the order, he can bat in the middle, and, of course, the fact that he is a top-class wicketkeeper as well adds tremendous value,” Ten Doeschate said.

“If you look at the squad composition, he stands out because of how he performed under pressure in the T20 World Cup and how he has stepped into this team and already played a crucial role the other night.

I think he ticks a lot of boxes and, purely because of that versatility, he is someone you want in your squad,” he added.

India is set to make at least a couple of changes, with Arshdeep Singh and one batter likely to be rested. Nitish and Harsh Dubey are expected to return after India was forced to field only five bowlers in the previous game due to Nitish’s absence.

Harshit Rana joined the squad and trained on Friday, with a short bowling stint followed by an extended power-hitting session. However, India is unlikely to rush him back after a lengthy injury layoff.

For Afghanistan, the series has served as a reminder of the gap it still needs to bridge. Saturday presents another chance to adapt better to the tempo of ODI cricket.

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“The biggest takeaway from this series is that, skill-wise, we still have work to do to catch up with this Indian team. India has fantastic skills. I believe our players do too, but the best players keep doing the basics over and over again. That is an area where we need to improve,” said George Mooney, Afghanistan’s fielding coach.

Fitness, too, has been a concern for Afghanistan, with Mohammad Nabi, Darwish Rasooli and Azmatullah Omarzai struggling through the series. Even Rashid Khan limped off during the second ODI. Mooney, however, remained confident that the visitors would field a fully fit XI.

After two batting-friendly pitches, Chepauk is expected to offer a slower surface that could bring spinners into play. Alongside Rashid, Afghanistan will bank on Allah Ghazanfar to continue the form he showed in the recent IPL and help end the tour on a positive note.

Published on Jun 19, 2026