India take on Afghanistan in the 2nd ODI at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Wednesday, June 17 at 1:30 PM IST. India lead the series 1-0 after winning the rain-reduced 1st ODI by 7 wickets in Dharamshala.
Shubman Gill scored 84*(66) and was Player of the Match. Debutants Gurnoor Brar (3/27) and Harsh Dubey (3/47) shone with the ball.
For Afghanistan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashed 102 off 51 balls but got no support from the rest. India can seal the series with a win here. Afghanistan have NEVER beaten India in any format across 14 matches. This is the FIRST bilateral ODI series between the two sides.
IND vs AFG Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI |
| Series | Afghanistan tour of India 2026 (3-match ODI series). India leads 1-0. |
| Date | Wednesday, 17 June 2026 (Day-Night) |
| Time | 1:30 PM IST; toss 30 minutes earlier |
| Venue | Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| Format | 50 overs per side |
| Captains | Shubman Gill (India), Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan) |
Dream11 Team for IND vs AFG, 2nd ODI
Top Picks for IND vs AFG, 2nd ODI
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | IND | Batter | 84*(66) in 1st ODI. Player of the Match. India captain. In red-hot touch. 11 short of 3000 ODI runs. Strong captaincy option. |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | AFG | WK / Batter | 102 off 51 balls in 1st ODI! Blazing century. 10 short of 2000 ODI runs. Attacks from ball one. Must-pick. |
| Rashid Khan | AFG | Captain / Bowler | Captain pick. Leg-spin wizard. Gets 10 overs on a spin-friendly Lucknow surface at 2x. India’s batters cautious against him in Dharamshala. |
| Gurnoor Brar | IND | VC / Bowler | Vice-Captain pick. 3/27 on DEBUT in 1st ODI. Left-arm pace. Wicket in his first over. Lucknow surface helps bowlers. At 1.5x. |
| Rohit Sharma | IND | Batter | India’s senior opener. Looked scratchy in 1st ODI but a BIG knock is due. 10,000+ ODI runs. Loves Lucknow (IPL home ground for MI in past). |
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| Pitch Type | SLOW, BLACK SOIL surface. Spinners get grip and turn through middle overs. Seamers find some movement with the new ball. Batters need patience early. Longest straight boundaries in India. |
| Avg 1st Innings Score | 226 in ODIs. Highest: SA 311/7. Lowest: England 129 all out. 240+ is competitive. Below 200 is risky. |
| Pace vs Spin | PACE early (Arshdeep, Brar, Prasidh for IND; Bilal Sami, Zia for AFG). SPIN DOMINANT middle overs (Rashid Khan + Ghazanfar for AFG; Sundar + Dubey + Kuldeep for IND). Ekana’s slow surface = spinners thrive. |
| Toss Factor | Teams batting second have won more ODIs here (4 out of 7). No dew expected in peak Lucknow summer. Both batting first and chasing are viable. |
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 38–39°C (100–102°F). EXTREME Lucknow heat. |
| Sky | Hazy to clear. No cloud cover. |
| Rain Chance | 0% — ZERO rain expected. Full 50-over game guaranteed. |
| Humidity | Low (around 22%). Dry heat. No dew expected. |
| Overall | EXTREME heat. Fitness will be tested. Players need hydration breaks. Fast outfield expected in dry conditions. Full match with no interruptions. |
IND vs AFG 2nd ODI Toss Prediction
Teams batting second have a better record at this venue in ODIs (4 wins out of 7). No dew expected in Lucknow’s peak summer, so the toss advantage is minimal. Both captains may prefer to bowl first and chase a known target.
If Shubman Gill (India) wins, he bowls first. Deploy Arshdeep + Brar (3/27 on debut) with the new ball against Gurbaz (102 in 1st ODI but can be dismissed early with swing). Then Sundar + Dubey + Kuldeep spin through the middle overs on a slow Ekana surface. Restrict Afghanistan below 230. Then Rohit + Gill (84*) + KL Rahul (39 in 1st ODI) chase under dry conditions.
If Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan) wins, he bowls first. Use Zia + Bilal Sami with the new ball against Rohit + Gill. Then unleash Rashid Khan + Ghazanfar on the spinning Ekana surface through the middle overs. India’s batters looked cautious against Afghan spin in the 1st ODI. Restrict India below 240. Then Gurbaz (102 in 1st ODI, explosive) + Ibrahim Zadran + Omarzai chase.
Injury and Team News
India:
No major injury concerns. India are unlikely to make big changes after the 1st ODI win. The only question is whether Kuldeep Yadav replaces Prasidh Krishna to add a wrist-spin option on the slow Lucknow surface. Spin coach Sairaj Bahutule hinted at the possibility. Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer looked scratchy in Dharamshala but are expected to continue. Ishan Kishan batted well at No. 3 (34 off 22) and holds his spot. Yashasvi Jaiswal waits on the bench.
Afghanistan:
Likely to remain unchanged. Afghanistan’s 1st ODI was hurt by the rain reduction to 25 overs, which forced their middle order to rush. Coach Hashmatullah Shahidi said the team was not mentally ready for the 25-over format. A full 50-over game at Lucknow suits their style. Darwish Rasooli is AVAILABLE and back with the squad after his father’s passing last week. Gurbaz (102 off 51) was the lone bright spot and will look to repeat his Dharamshala heroics. Rashid Khan and Ghazanfar will be key on this spin-friendly Lucknow surface.
