The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced the addition of fast bowler Harshit Rana to the Indian squad for the third and final ODI against Afghanistan, scheduled for Saturday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Rana, who has successfully completed his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence following a knee injury, has linked up with the squad in Chennai. The injury had earlier ruled him out of the T20 World Cup and the Indian Premier League.
Updated India Squad for 3rd ODI vs Afghanistan:
• Shubman Gill (Captain)
• Rohit Sharma
• Shreyas Iyer (Vice-captain)
• KL Rahul (Wicket-keeper)
• Ishan Kishan (Wicket-keeper)
• Nitish Kumar Reddy
• Washington Sundar
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Arshdeep Singh
• Prasidh Krishna
• Prince Yadav
• Gurnoor Brar
• Harsh Dubey
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Harshit Rana
India head into the final match with an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The hosts secured a seven-wicket victory in the rain-affected first ODI and followed it up with a dominant 170-run win in the second game in Lucknow, powered by Shubman Gill’s century.
With the series already decided, the third ODI offers an opportunity for the team management to assess squad depth and provide match exposure to players like Rana in a low-pressure environment. Rana’s pace and all-round abilities are expected to bolster India’s bowling attack alongside the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna.
Afghanistan will be looking to avoid a whitewash and end the tour on a positive note, though they face a formidable challenge against a near full-strength Indian side.
