Lucknow
India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the second ODI against Afghanistan due to a sore left thigh. The 23-year-old missed the match at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow as the BCCI medical team continues to monitor his condition.
“Nitish Kumar Reddy was unavailable for selection for the second ODI due to a sore left thigh. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress,” the board said in an official statement after the toss. Nitish had played a key role in India’s seven-wicket win in the rain-shortened first ODI in Dharamsala. He took 2 for 31, picking up important wickets of explosive opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and veteran Mohammad Nabi, which helped restrict Afghanistan to 194.
India made three changes to their playing eleven that won the series opener. Youngster Prince Yadav earned his debut, becoming the third new player in the series. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kuldeep Yadav returned to the side, while Harsh Dubey and Prasidh Krishna were left out. Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bowl first. In the opening match, Gurbaz had smashed a brilliant century off just 48 balls to give Afghanistan a strong start. However, once he got out, their middle order collapsed. India’s bowlers showed great discipline despite several young faces in the attack. With this latest injury concern, India will hope their squad depth helps them maintain momentum in the series.