India’s No. 3 Mystery Solved, THIS Player Advised To Take Virat Kohli's Spot As Gill Warned Not To Take Afghanistan Lightly

Former India all-rounder Abhishek Nayar has cautioned Team India against underestimating Afghanistan in the upcoming three-match ODI series, saying the visitors have enough experience and quality in their ranks to trouble any side.

India will begin the series against Afghanistan in Dharamshala on June 13 before the action moves to Lucknow and Chennai for the remaining two matches.

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Why Afghanistan should not be taken lightly?

Speaking on JioHotstar, Nayar pointed out that Afghanistan’s players have gained valuable experience by playing franchise cricket across the world, which has helped them grow as a white-ball side.

“Afghanistan will be a much tougher challenge in this ODI series. Almost every player in their white-ball squad plays franchise cricket around the world. That gives them a lot of exposure.

“Whether it’s T20s or ODIs, they play an aggressive brand of cricket. Their bowlers have the ability to trouble Indian batters as well. That said, there is still a big gap in quality between the two sides.

“Afghanistan will be aiming to win at least two games in this series. If they manage that, it will be a huge achievement for them and a major upset for India. So, Shubman Gill and his men must not make the mistake of taking Afghanistan lightly.”

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Who will feature at number three in Virat Kohli's absence?

Apart from discussing the series, Nayar also shared his thoughts on India’s batting combination, especially the number three position that has come under focus due to Virat Kohli’s absence.

The former India assistant coach backed Ishan Kishan for the role, saying his experience gives him an edge over Yashasvi Jaiswal.

“If you look at the recent form of Ishan Kishan and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan has always stepped up whenever there has been an injury. He has performed well every time.

“He was excellent in the T20 World Cup and also did well against New Zealand in the T20I series. He is a more experienced and proven option at number three compared to Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jaiswal is naturally an opener. In his last ODI, he scored a century while opening the innings. So based on experience and comfort in the number three role, I would go with Ishan Kishan.”

What will be India's bowling combinations vs Afghanistan?

Nayar also spoke about India’s bowling options, with several first-choice bowlers unavailable for the series. He believes the team management should use the opportunity to test a few promising players.

“I feel Harsh Dubey will play because the team will need a left-arm spinner. He is also a useful all-rounder. The real question is which fast bowlers will get a chance. I want to see Prasidh Krishna’s workload managed carefully.

“If the team wants to give him game time, they should also look at Gurnoor Brar. He was part of the Test squad but didn’t get a chance to play there. However, he should be in the scheme of things for the ODI playing XI.

“Prince Yadav has also performed very well recently. So, I would like to see Harsh Dubey with either Prince Yadav or Gurnoor Brar, along with Arshdeep Singh. These bowlers have played a lot of cricket and should be given a chance to prove themselves.”