India-Afghanistan 2nd ODI: Key player battles to watch out for
What's the story
The second ODI between India and Afghanistan is set to take place on Wednesday at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. After a successful start to the series, India will be looking to seal their victory in front of their home crowd. In the first ODI, India restricted Afghanistan to 194 runs before chasing down the total with seven wickets and 13 balls remaining. Here we look at the key player battles that can headline the upcoming game.
#1
Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Arshdeep Singh
Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz shattered a ton of records with a 48-ball hundred in the opening game. Despite losing regular wickets at the other hand, Gurbaz continued to dominate the bowlers. As per ESPNcricinfo, he smashed Arshdeep Singh for 15 runs off 13 balls. The left-arm pacer was also brilliant in the powerplay, claiming two wickets in the first five overs. Their battle in the upcoming affair would certainly be enticing.
#2
Shubman Gill vs Azmatullah Omarzai
Indian skipper Shubman Gill has been in great form lately and scored an unbeaten 84 in the first ODI. Pacer Azmatullah Omarzai, who held the new ball in the opener, will have the onus to keep Gill quiet. Omarzai had a tough outing in the previous game as his three wicket-less overs resulted in 28 runs. Notably, Gill has scored 1,710 runs in home ODIs at a stunning average of 63.48.
#3
KL Rahul vs Rashid Khan
KL Rahul scored a quickfire 19-ball 39* to seal India's win in the first game. His returns at the number-five position are jaw-dropping to say the least. As he operates in the middle and end overs, Rashid Khan might challenge him. Though the two players have hardly crossed swords in ODIs, the leg-spinner has trapped Rahul thrice across 11 T20 meetings. The batter strikes at a paltry 100 in this regard.