India look to tick more boxes with an eye on series sweep

With wins over Afghanistan in Dharamsala and Lucknow, India have already wrapped up the ODI series but there's still work to do. With next year's World Cup on the horizon and limited opportunities left in the format, the third ODI in Chennai carries significant weight.

India came into the series looking to test their depth and that process continues on Saturday. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed changes will be made. "We will be making a few changes from the first two games. Part of the brief coming into the series was we wanted to try different combinations and give everyone a fair share of games," he said.

The series has already provided encouraging signs. Ishan Kishan has made the most of his opportunities, culminating in a brilliant hundred in Lucknow while batting at No.4. Skipper Shubman Gill scored a hundred at No.3 in Virat Kohli's absence. Gurnoor Brar has impressed with his pace, bounce and ability to trouble batters from awkward lengths, looking like a good fit for South African conditions where most of the 2027 World Cup will be played.

India would like to tick a few more boxes. Yashasvi Jaiswal is confirmed to get another chance as the team continues to look at Rohit Sharma's back-up and left-handed options at the top. Chennai presents further opportunities for Nitish Reddy, on an extended audition as India's all-rounder in Hardik Pandya's absence; Prince Yadav, who had a tougher introduction to international cricket; and Harsh Dubey, who missed the previous game but showed enough on debut.

Afghanistan will be desperate to avoid a whitewash. Their decision to bowl first in Lucknow proved costly as India racked up 402, and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi admitted his side was "not good enough." While outplayed for large parts of the series, they view the final ODI as an opportunity to show they can compete better against one of the world's leading sides.

When: Saturday, 20 June 2026, at 1:30 PM local

Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

What to expect: A red-soil pitch offering good bounce for pacers, spinners and shot-makers. Another hot day is forecast.

India: Harshit Rana has been added to the ODI squad and could get a game immediately, marking a return for the pace-bowling all-rounder after missing the T20 World Cup and IPL due to knee surgery. Ten Doeschate confirmed Nitish Reddy, who missed the last match, is fit and will play. KL Rahul could be rested with Ishan taking the gloves.

Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Harshit Rana, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav.

Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi (illness) and Azmatullah Omarzai (injured in nets) missed the last match and could return if fully recovered.

Probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Darwish Rasooli/Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Bilal Sami/Azmatullah Omarzai.

Quotes:

"If you look at squad composition, he stands out with how he's performed under pressure in the T20 World Cup and how he's stepped into this team now. He ticks a lot of boxes. Purely for versatility, someone you want in your squad all day long." – Ryan ten Doeschate, India assistant coach, on Ishan Kishan.

"The biggest takeaway from this series is that skill-wise we still have work to do to catch up with India. India have fantastic skills. 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." – John Mooney, Afghanistan fielding coach.