With the ODI series already secured, Team India entered the third and final ODI against Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai with an opportunity to test their squad depth and experiment with different combinations. The hosts have been dominant throughout the series, registering convincing victories in both Dharamshala and Lucknow to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Ahead of the dead rubber, India opted to make multiple changes to their playing XI as part of their workload management strategy. The team management has consistently emphasized the importance of giving opportunities to players across the squad, especially with a packed international calendar coming up in the second half of the year. Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bowl first, while Indian skipper Shubman Gill revealed three changes to the side, including the return of Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Why KL Rahul is not playing today’s game against Afghanistan in the 3rd ODI?

One of the biggest talking points before the start of the match was the absence of senior wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul from India’s playing XI. However, Rahul’s exclusion is not related to any injury or fitness concern. The experienced batter has been rested as part of India’s rotation policy, with the team management keen to provide opportunities to other players in the squad.

Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had already indicated before the match that India would make a few changes in the final ODI. He explained that the coaching staff wanted to assess different combinations and ensure that more players received game time during the series. With India already having wrapped up the series, the management decided to rest Rahul and bring back all-rounder Reddy to strengthen the team’s balance.

Rahul had mixed fortunes in the first two ODIs. He played a crucial unbeaten knock of 39 off just 19 deliveries in the opening match at Dharamshala, helping India complete the chase comfortably. However, he endured a disappointing outing in Lucknow, falling for a golden duck despite India posting a mammoth total. Even so, Rahul remains one of India’s most dependable ODI performers, having scored over 3,300 runs in the format at an average above 50.

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Nitish Kumar Reddy returns as India rotate their resources

While Rahul was rested, all-rounder Reddy returned to the playing XI after missing the previous game. His inclusion provides India with additional batting depth and another seam-bowling option, giving the side greater flexibility ahead of future assignments. India also handed opportunities to Prasidh Krishna and Harsh Dubey as part of the rotation policy.

The management chose to rest key players and evaluate backup options, a move that aligns with their long-term planning approach. Yashasvi Jaiswal retained his place at the top of the order alongside Rohit Sharma, while Ishan Kishan continued behind the stumps.

Speaking at the toss, Gill admitted that India would have preferred to bat first but viewed the chase as a useful opportunity to improve an area they have not been able to test extensively during the series. With the series already in the bag, the final ODI offers India a chance to assess squad depth while maintaining momentum ahead of upcoming international commitments.

India’s Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav

Afghanistan’s Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik

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