IND vs AFG 2nd ODI, India aim to extend dominance:Shubman Gill eyes maiden ODI series win as captain; Afghans gunning for comeback

Shubman Gill will eye his first series win as captain of the ODI team as Team India look to take a 2-0 unassailable lead in the ongoing 3-match series against Afghanistan. After a convincing show in Dharamshala following a rain-curtailed clash, wherein India won by 7 wickets thanks to the captain’s 84-run unbeaten knock, alongside 3-wicket spells from debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey. There might be a chance that the Indian team could give opportunities to the likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal, since Shubman himself said in the ongoing series that the management is looking to experiment with a few players. Afghanistan will hope for a more improved show with the bat, barring their centurion Rahmanullah Gurbaz, none of the batsmen were able to put any pressure of sorts on a relatively inexperienced bowling attack, with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya sidelined. India vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI match details Match: India vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI Venue: Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow Date: 17 June, 2026 Time: 01:30 PM IST, 01:00 toss time How to watch: Star Sports Network (TV), and JioHotstar (streaming) How to follow: Bhaskar English app India vs Afghanistan ODI head-to-head record The last fixture in Dharamshala was the first-ever bilateral ODI match between the teams. India have won four of their five previous meetings against Afghanistan, and one fixture ended in a tie. The Afghans are still in the hunt for their first win. Shubman Gill aims to secure series win for India Shubman Gill led from the front as the India ODI captain scored an unbeaten 84 in the series opener. After a stunning IPL campaign, wherein he led Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2026 final, Gill aim to continue his rich vein of form. Shubman will hope to help the Men in Blue win their first ODI series since he took over as full-time captain from Rohit. With the ball, both Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey delivered the goods as they picked up 3 wickets each, giving coach Gautam Gambhir a healthy selection headache for the second ODI. Afghanistan pin hopes on Gurbaz and Rashid Afghanistan were outplayed in both departments on a rain-curtailed surface; however, the pitch in Lucknow should favour their spin attack. Rahmanullah Gurbaz had a splendid outing with the bat as he scored the fastest ODI ton by an Afghan batter against India. With the ball, Rashid Khan and Co. will have to improve their performances, as he and Ziaur Rahman were the only two bowlers who got their names among the wicket-takers list. Rashid Khan hopes to hurt Rohit Sharma again Rashid Khan played a part in Rohit’s dismissal in the first ODI as well, getting the former India captain run out. Moreover, he has previously dismissed the Hitman once, who has scored 25 runs off 18 balls against the spin wizard. Arshdeep Singh hopes to keep Rahmanullah Gurbaz at bay Arshdeep Singh bowled 13 balls to Gurbaz in the first ODI, wherein the Afghanistan batter scored 15 runs. The Indian pacer will be hoping to get the Afghan batsman dismissed early before he can wreak havoc, just like he did in the series opener. BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, pitch report The pitch at the Ekana Stadium is likely to assist spinners. The average first innings total on this surface is 213. Ten ODIs have been played at this venue, chasing teams have won three out of the last five matches. Lucknow weather report The weather in Lucknow on Wednesday is expected to be bright and sunny. There are no chances of rain, and a full game of cricket can be expected. Temperatures will be around 40% degrees Celsius during the day and drop to 30 degrees in the evening.