India's Likely XI vs Afghanistan: Arshdeep Singh May Be Rested, But This Player's Inclusion Sets Ball Rolling For 2027 WC
The India vs Afghanistan ODI series may be sealed, but work remains for Gautam Gambhir's team management towards the bigger goal of achieving success in the 2027 World Cup
The India vs Afghanistan ODI series may be sealed, but work remains for Gautam Gambhir's team management towards the bigger goal of achieving success in the 2027 World Cup. Keeping that aim in mind, Nitish Kumar Reddy is being prepared to be a regular in the side, especially with Hardik Pandya's return date not yet clear. India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate on Friday singled out Nitish Reddy for his all-round development. He also confirmed that KL Rahul will continue to bat down the order, and in the immediate future, Yashasvi Jaiswal will be paired with Rohit Sharma in the third ODI against Afghanistan here on Saturday. The extended time Jaiswal and Rohit batted during an optional net session at Chepauk on Friday further validated Ten Doeschate's words.
"The versatility of the batting line-up is fantastic. I don't think it (Rahul batting up the order) is a consideration. We want to have a good look at Yashasvi as well. Obviously, he didn't get around to scoring in the last game, so he will probably get another go," Ten Doeschate told the pre-match press conference.
"So I would imagine five batters plus Nitish Reddy and Washington. Nitish is obviously one of the batters, so we don't make a change in the top three from the last game," he added.
But the former Netherlands international said a few others, like pacer Arshdeep Singh, could be rested for this game, as India have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
"We will be making a few changes from the first two games. I think part of the brief coming into the series was that we wanted to try a few different combinations and give everyone a fair share of games.
"If someone like Arshdeep does very well in the first two games, he can take a rest tomorrow. The same point is applicable to some of the batsmen," he said.
Arshdeep's likely replacement could be Nitish Reddy, who was rested in the last game. Harshit Rana, who just joined the squad, may not be drafted in straight away.
Ten Doeschate said skipper Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan are good to go despite batting for a long duration under the harsh sun during the second match in Lucknow.
"Shubman...obviously, it was just the heat the other day and he didn't come onto the field. As far as I know, he was absolutely fine up there. He was just cramping his calves a little bit. Ishan had a shoulder issue, and now he's fine," he said.
Ten Doeschate said Kishan has progressed well from a slam-bang T20 batter to an ODI batter who can pace the innings to a nicety.
"I think with Ishan, the only concern was whether he could transform himself from a T20 specialist into a 50-over player, potentially even a red-ball player. I think he showed that the other night.
"By nature, he's very aggressive and we still feel there's space for that in this team. You do have some solid batters around him if you include them in the team. With Shubman and Virat, you have two of the more classical guys who are going to bat through the innings.
"He (Kishan) is a very versatile player. He can bat at the top of the order, he can bat in the middle, and obviously, the fact that he's a top gloveman as well." Ten Doeschate said Kishan has ticked a lot of the right boxes of late.
"If you look at squad composition, he's someone who obviously stands out with his performances under pressure in the T20 World Cup and how he stepped into this team and played a crucial role out there.
"I think he ticks a lot of boxes and so on. Like I said, versatility is something you want in your squad," he explained.
The assistant coach expressed satisfaction over how all-rounders have shaped up in the last few months in white-ball cricket for India.
* Nitish has shown why he is important for this team
"I would still say the majority of these guys are bowling all-rounders. When Hardik's fit, he obviously wins different tournaments because he's such a strong batter, such a strong finisher. That sort of role is difficult to find-someone who can finish and also give you runs consistently.
"Like I said with Nitish, for the last 18 months, he's shown glimpses of how important he can be to this team, particularly in this format. I feel his body is getting stronger, and I sort of feel he is the natural successor or backup to Hardik.
"But it's certainly nice to see these other guys chipping in and working on their games-Dube, Harshit, etc. The fact that we feel we've got guys who can hold the bat and, obviously, looking forward to the next 14-15 months, that is going to be very important, especially in South Africa when you want to play three proper out-and-out seamers," he elaborated.
In that context, Doeschate remained satisfied seeing a strong second-string pace battery behind Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, both of whom are not playing this series.
"It's fantastic. Like I say, one of the big things when this coaching staff started was always going to be the transition of the bowlers, particularly with guys like Shami not playing anymore. This week, or a couple of weeks ago, when we got together in Chandigarh to see those three young guys coming into the fold, it was literally like a wow moment.
"The way Gurnoor (Brar) has bowled in his first two games, to see a young Indian pacer hit 147, 148, it's like, I'm sure you guys are all as excited as we are. Obviously, the T20 was a big lead-up for the next 15 months and to balance the experience that this team has," he said.
India's likely playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prince Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy
India Cricket Team
Afghanistan