Afghanistan Faces India in Final ODI for Pride at MA Chidambaram Stadium

Chennai, June 20: The third and final ODI between India and Afghanistan is set to take place on Saturday at the MA Chidambaram Cricket Stadium. India has already secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after winning the first two matches. Afghanistan will be fighting for pride in this last encounter.

India’s performance in both ODIs has been impressive. In the second ODI, the team defeated Afghanistan by a significant margin of 170 runs. Captain Shubman Gill has been in exceptional form, scoring 238 runs at an average of 238 and a strike rate of 135 across the two matches. Ishan Kishan also showcased his talent with a century in the second ODI.

Rohit Sharma contributed a solid 48 runs off 39 balls in the last match. However, the team will be looking for strong performances from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer in the final ODI. The bowling duo of Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Barar has proven effective, with Gurnoor taking six wickets so far. Additionally, Prince Yadav made an impact in his debut match, claiming two wickets.

On the other hand, Afghanistan has struggled throughout the series. Apart from Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah, most of the team’s batsmen have found it challenging to score runs. Rahmat scored a commendable 79 runs in the second ODI, while Gurbaz, who scored a century in the first ODI, managed 41 runs off 33 balls in the second. The Afghan bowling attack has also appeared lackluster, as Indian batsmen amassed 402 runs in 50 overs during the second ODI.

The pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium is known to assist spin bowlers, with the ball coming onto the bat slowly, making it difficult for batsmen to score freely. However, during IPL 2026, the pitch seemed to favor batsmen as well. A total of 39 ODIs have been played at this venue, with the team batting first winning 18 times, while the chasing team has won 20 matches.

The average score in the first innings is 229 runs, while the average score in the second innings is 208 runs. According to AccuWeather, there is a 55% chance of rain in Chennai on Saturday, with overcast conditions expected. The maximum temperature is forecasted to be 34 degrees Celsius, and the minimum is expected to be 27 degrees Celsius.

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