India vs Afghanistan 2nd ODI Lucknow: India eye series win on July 17
Synopsis
India need one more win to seal the ODI series against Afghanistan, but the real subplot in Lucknow is the World Cup audition unfolding in plain sight — Kuldeep's recall, Jaiswal's push for No. 3, and whether Afghanistan can find any batting partner for a century-scoring Gurbaz.
Key Takeaways
India lead the three-match ODI series 1-0 and can clinch it with a win in the 2nd ODI on 17 July in Lucknow .
Kuldeep Yadav's possible return is the headline selection debate, with Harsh Dubey's place potentially under threat despite a three-wicket debut.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is in contention for the No.
3 slot vacated by the injured Virat Kohli .
Rahmanullah Gurbaz's century in the opener was Afghanistan's only batting highlight; the middle order must step up.
Afghanistan's spin trio — Rashid Khan , AM Ghazanfar , Mohammad Nabi — will look to exploit a potentially slower Lucknow surface.
Match starts at 1:30 PM IST , live on Star Sports and streaming on JioStar .
India will target a series-clinching victory against Afghanistan in the 2nd ODI at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, 17 July, with the hosts leading the three-match series 1-0 after a commanding performance in the rain-shortened opener at Dharamsala. A win here would seal the series with one match to spare.
India's Selection Dilemma: Kuldeep, Jaiswal, and the World Cup Lens
With the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon and roughly two dozen ODIs remaining before the tournament, team management is treating every fixture as an evaluation opportunity. The biggest selection call heading into the second match centres on Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm wrist spinner was a fixture in India's home ODI assignments against South Africa and New Zealand but has endured a difficult run — a modest IPL season, a disappointing one-off Test, and omission from squads for the Ireland and England T20I tours.
Despite the lean patch, ODIs remain Kuldeep's strongest format, and his ability to generate wickets through the middle overs could prompt the management to hand him a recall. However, Head Coach Gautam Gambhir's preference for all-round flexibility means Washington Sundar is likely to retain his place — potentially at the expense of debutant Harsh Dubey, who impressed with a three-wicket haul in the first ODI.
The No. 3 slot is another open question. With Virat Kohli sidelined by a hamstring injury, Yashasvi Jaiswal's recent cross-format form puts him in contention to displace Ishan Kishan, who batted at that position in Dharamsala. Veteran opener Rohit Sharma, run out cheaply in the first match, will be keen to make his innings count in Lucknow.
Bowling Stocks: Brar Impresses, Prince Yadav Waits
India's pace attack drew strong reviews from Dharamsala. Debutant Gurnoor Brar caught the eye on his first outing and is expected to retain his place, while fellow newcomer Prince Yadav remains in the wings awaiting his debut opportunity. A second successive strong bowling display would put the series beyond Afghanistan's reach.
Afghanistan's Batting Must Step Up Beyond Gurbaz
Rahmanullah Gurbaz's aggressive century was the lone highlight of Afghanistan's batting card in the opener. The rest of the lineup offered little support, leaving the visitors well short of a competitive total. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and the middle order must deliver a more complete collective effort in Lucknow.
Afghanistan's spin trio of Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, and Mohammad Nabi struggled to build sustained pressure on Indian batsmen on the Dharamsala surface. The visitors will hope that a slower, more spin-friendly track in Lucknow tilts conditions in their favour and allows their attack to come into play.
Match Details and Squads
The match begins at 1:30 PM IST on 17 July and will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, with live streaming available on JioStar.
India Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna, Shreyas Iyer, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Ishan Kishan, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav.
Afghanistan Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Bilal Sami, Nangeyalia Kharoti, Fareed Ahmad Malik, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Darwish Rasooli, Ibrahim Zadran, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi.
With a series win on the line and World Cup auditions ongoing, India enter the Lucknow fixture as firm favourites — but Afghanistan's spin arsenal and Gurbaz's form ensure the contest is far from a formality.
Point of View
But the selection decisions in Lucknow carry genuine weight with the 2027 World Cup clock ticking. Kuldeep Yadav's situation is the most telling indicator of where team management's thinking stands — if he returns here, it signals ODIs remain his sanctuary regardless of T20I form; if he sits out again, it raises questions about his World Cup trajectory. Afghanistan, meanwhile, face a structural batting problem that one Gurbaz century cannot paper over: their middle order has repeatedly failed to convert strong starts into competitive totals, and until that changes, they remain a one-man show against top-tier opposition.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the India vs Afghanistan 2nd ODI being played?
The 2nd ODI between India and Afghanistan is scheduled for Wednesday, 17 July, at 1:30 PM IST at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The match will be broadcast on Star Sports and live-streamed on JioStar.
What is the current series score between India and Afghanistan?
India lead the three-match ODI series 1-0 after winning the rain-shortened first ODI in Dharamsala. A victory in the second match would clinch the series for the hosts.
Will Kuldeep Yadav play in the 2nd ODI against Afghanistan?
Kuldeep Yadav's selection for the second ODI is uncertain. He has struggled for form recently — including a modest IPL season and exclusion from T20I squads — but his middle-overs wicket-taking ability in ODIs could prompt team management to bring him back into the XI.
Why is Virat Kohli not playing in the India-Afghanistan ODI series?
Virat Kohli has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury, leaving the No. 3 batting position open for experimentation. Yashasvi Jaiswal is among the candidates to fill that slot in the Lucknow match.
What does Afghanistan need to do to level the series in Lucknow?
Afghanistan must produce a far more complete batting performance than in the opener, where Rahmanullah Gurbaz's century stood alone without meaningful support from the middle order. Their spin trio of Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, and Mohammad Nabi will also need to be more penetrative, and a slower Lucknow pitch could assist their cause.
