India made a late change to their playing XI for the second ODI against England in Cardiff after wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul was ruled out due to illness.
Ishan Kishan replaced Rahul in the starting lineup as India looked to seal the three-match ODI series after winning the opening game.
England Opt to Bowl First
England captain Harry Brook won the toss and elected to bowl first, taking advantage of the bowling-friendly conditions at Cardiff.
India captain Shubman Gill said his side would also have chosen to field first but remained confident after an impressive performance in the series opener.
“We would have bowled first as well. We have one change—KL is sick, so he misses out, and Ishan Kishan comes in,” Gill said at the toss.
Rahul Sidelined After Quiet First ODI
KL Rahul endured a disappointing outing with the bat in the first ODI at Edgbaston, scoring only three runs before being dismissed by Josh Tongue.
Despite the low score, Rahul contributed behind the stumps with two catches and a stumping during India’s convincing victory.
His absence gives Ishan Kishan an opportunity to strengthen his case in India’s ODI setup.
India Eye Series Victory
India entered the second ODI with a 1-0 lead after comfortably chasing 259 in the opening match.
Captain Shubman Gill led the batting effort with 80 runs, while Washington Sundar and Axar Patel scored unbeaten half-centuries to guide India home.
With the series on the line, another victory in Cardiff would hand India an unassailable lead and secure the ODI series with one match remaining.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna.
England: Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood.
