Why is Nitish Kumar Reddy not playing the second ODI against Afghanistan in Lucknow?

Here's why Nitish Kumar Reddy isn't playing the second ODI against Afghanistan.

Updated on: Jun 17, 2026, 17:11:33 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Nitish Kumar Reddy, the 23-year-old all-rounder, wasn't included in Team India's playing XI for the second ODI against Afghanistan at Lucknow on Wednesday. Minutes after the toss was done, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued an update on the fast-bowling all-rounder, saying he was “unavailable” for selection due to a sore left thigh. Reddy is now under the Medical Team's monitoring.

Here's why Nitish Kumar Reddy isn't playing the second ODI against Afghanistan (AFP)

“Update. Mr 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,” BCCI wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Reddy was one of India's standout performers in the first ODI, which was reduced to 25 overs per side due to rain. He returned with two wickets, including the prized scalp of Rahmullah Gurbaz, who had hit a century.

Also Read: India vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI LIVE Score: Check live coverage here

The second ODI between India and Afghanistan saw Afghanistan win the toss and opt to bowl. India made three changes to their XI, while the visitors made a few changes as well. The Men in Blue handed out a debut to Prince Yadav.

At the time of the toss, Shubman Gill, the India captain, said, “Honestly, we would have bowled first as well, because of our combination. We were forced to play with only five bowlers in this match. So, just because of that, we would have bowled first as well. It's all about just being in difficult situations and getting that experience.”

“If you're chasing, have the habit of chasing the big scores, and if you're defending, how can we defend those low totals, and how clinical can we be with our bowling. We have got three changes. Prince makes his debut. Nitish was unavailable for selection in this match. He had some issues with his quad. So we have got Kuldeep and Jaiswal in,” he added.

On the other hand, the Afghanistan captain said he wanted a better show from his side after the loss in the series opener.

“In the last game we played really well, but we were missing in the partnerships. We just had one good partnership, but after that, we threw away our wickets easily. So that's the reason we didn't finish on the winning side. So hopefully the boys learn from it and come back stronger in today's game,” he said.

“I think our boys have a lot of passion for cricket. And it's the ability and the skills of the players that we are doing well, and hopefully, that we improve day by day. We have three changes. Nabi is sick, he's not feeling well, and Azmat got injured in the practice session. And also Zia Sharifi is not playing,” he added.

Here are the playing XIs:

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Darwish Rasooli, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Bilal Sami.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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