Former India fast bowler Dodda Ganesh has criticized the Indian team management for resting KL Rahul in the third ODI against Afghanistan. Ganesh questioned the need to rest the wicket-keeper batsman after he spent very little time at the crease in the first two matches of the ongoing series.
The third ODI is being held at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.. India entered the match with an unassailable 2-0 lead after wins in Dharamsala and Lucknow. Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Before the match, India captain Shubman Gill confirmed several changes in the playing eleven.
KL Rahul did not need this rest – Dodda Ganesh
Dodda Ganesh raised questions on the team management’s decision to rest KL Rahul. The former India fast bowler said the workload management call made no sense as Rahul had faced only 20 balls in the series and had not spent enough time at the crease to require a break.
“KL Rahul didn’t need this rest. He has only played 20 balls in the series. Absolutely no point.”
KL Rahul did not need this rest. He has played only 20 balls in the series. #INDvAFG makes absolutely no sense
— Dodda Ganesh दोद्दा गानेश (@doddaganesha) June 20, 2026
Rahul played a crucial unbeaten inning of 39 runs in 19 balls in the first ODI in Dharamshala, which helped India achieve the target of 195 runs. However, his performance in the second ODI in Lucknow was disappointing and he was bowled by Nangeyalia Kharote on the very first ball, despite India scoring 402 runs.
Three changes – Shubman Gill in the playing eleven of Team India
Shubman Gill talks about the conditions and India’s approach for the third ODI. The Indian captain said that the pitch looked good for batting and admitted that his team would prefer to bat first.
“Looks like a very good wicket. Could have batted earlier also. It was very hot in the last match and it will be no different here. It’s about being consistent in the areas we are looking at.”
Gill said that chasing a big score will be a valuable test for his team. He said India wanted to improve its ability to chase big scores comfortably and consistently.
“We will be chasing the target in this match, and chasing big scores consistently and comfortably is an area where we have not been able to stick so far. That is what we will look at today. Three changes. Prasidh, Harsh and Nitish Reddy are back.”
India rest KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh for the final ODI
Having already won the series, India used the third ODI to give other players a chance. The team management made three changes, including Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey and Prasidh Krishna. KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh were rested.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has retained his place at the top of the order along with Rohit Sharma. India continued to play with the same opening pair as they assessed different combinations ahead of a busy international schedule. Despite being a part of the ODI team, Harshit Rana did not get a place in the playing eleven.
Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first in Chennai. India entered the final ODI with the intention of securing a series win before their England tour. The decision to rest Rahul, Kuldeep and Arshdeep was purely for workload management and not related to any injury concerns.