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Thanks to the brilliant centuries of history-makers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill, the Indian national cricket team defeated the Afghanistan national cricket team by 170 runs in the second ODI in Lucknow on Wednesday, June 17 and won the three-match series.
With this huge win, India have now taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead, with the final ODI taking place on June 20 in Chennai. Gill showed incredible determination while battling extreme heat and cramps and scored a brilliant 154, while Ishan scored his second ODI century.
The stormy batting of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan won the ODI series for India.
In the scorching heat, Afghanistan won the toss and decided to bowl first and their decision backfired badly in Lucknow. The weather was one of the biggest challenges during the second ODI on Wednesday.
Players of both the teams struggled due to heat and cramps. The impact was such that Gill was seen batting with an ice collar around his neck and led from the front. However, Shubman Gill did not return to the field during the second innings in Lucknow.
Ishan, on the other hand, proved why many believe he can be a key player for India in the future by scoring 125 runs off 78 balls. They completely snatched the match from Afghanistan by making a sensational partnership of 224 runs in just 141 balls for the third wicket.
How Shubman Gill helped Ishan Kishan stay calm in the 2nd IND vs AFG ODI
After India won the ODI series against Afghanistan, Ishan Kishan credited Shubman Gill for his remarkable innings in Lucknow. The left-handed batsman revealed that whenever he looked eager to attack too early, the Indian captain would help him stay calm and stick to the plan.
Ishan Kishan said in a video posted by the BCCI on its official website: “I think, to be very honest, I was just keeping it simple. And you know, the plan was to build a good partnership when Gill was batting there.”
“He wanted me to just keep batting because at the end of the day, I think the wicket was good enough for the batsmen, and we knew that when we had to face the bowlers, we could do it any time. So, the plan was just to keep it simple and play good shots when needed.”
Ishan Kishan reveals how Shubman Gill stopped him from throwing his wicket
Talking about his partnership with Gill and how he helped him in the middle, the wicketkeeper said that their understanding and trust in each other played a huge role in building such a great partnership against Afghanistan in Lucknow.
Ishaan said, “The best thing is that you always need to trust your leader. Because when I was there, there were times when I was rushing into things, but I was looking for boundaries, but at the same time, he was keeping me calm in between, saying, “You still have enough time.”
‘Sometimes trust is the most important thing’
He revealed that he relied on Gill’s advice during their partnership as the Indian captain knows how to build big innings and his guidance helped in building confidence and calmness at the crease.
Ishan concluded by saying, “When he played for India, he got the rhythm right from the first game. He knows how to score runs. He knows how to make it big. So, you know, sometimes trust is the most important thing. So, I was trusting what he was saying. It was very easy for me in the middle today.”
Ishan Kishan-Arshdeep Singh come for interview
..and stay tuned for questions from Captain Shubman Gill
Watch – By @mihrlee_58#TeamIndia | #INDvAFG | @IDFCFIRSTBANK | @ishaankishan51 | @arshdeepsingh | @ShubmanGil https://t.co/aiSU3aSdyi
– BCCI (@BCCI) June 18, 2026
Well, thanks to the brilliant centuries of Gill and Ishan, India scored a huge score of 402 runs. Chasing the target, Afghanistan never recovered from India’s aggressive batting and eventually fell 170 runs short of the target in Lucknow.