IND vs AFG: Sudden entry of Gautam Gambhir’s special bowler in the ODI team, Gurnur-Prince, who can get a chance in place of him?

By Samira Vishwas On Jun 20, 2026

Fast bowler Harshit Rana has been included in the Indian team for the third ODI against Afghanistan on June 20 in Chennai. He is making a comeback after recovering from the injury due to which he was out of action since February this year.

In a statement on Friday, BCCI said that Rana has completed his rehabilitation at the BCCI Center of Excellence and has joined the ODI team in Chennai.

Rana suffered a knee injury during India’s warm-up match against South Africa ahead of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup and was ruled out of the tournament. After this he underwent surgery and could not even play IPL 2026 for Kolkata Knight Riders. India lead the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan 2-0 after wins in Dharamsala and Lucknow.

Harshit Rana returns to ODI team
24-year-old Harshit Rana suffered a ligament strain in his right knee during the T20 World Cup practice match against South Africa. The injury was so serious that he had to undergo surgery in February. Due to this injury, Rana was ruled out of both T20 World Cup 2026 and IPL 2026. In such a situation, his return is a news of relief for the Indian team.

Joined the team for the third ODI
BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia said in a statement, ‘Harshit Rana has completed his rehab at the BCCI Center of Excellence and has joined the ODI team in Chennai.’

Harshit Rana was considered a trusted player of Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir. Rana had made his mark in Kolkata Knight Riders under the guidance of Gambhir and his aggressive bowling had also caught the attention of the selectors. This is the reason why he was directly included in Team India as soon as he became fit.

Whose place can Harshit take?
The big question is that if India makes changes in the third ODI, then in whose place will Harshit Rana play? India has already won the series, so the team management can try the bench strength. Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar are available as options in the fast bowling department. Arshdeep is bowling well with the new ball. However, considering their workload, rest can be given. Whereas Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar are still trying to strengthen their place at the international level. In such a situation, the team management can rotate the young players.

India’s updated team for the third ODI against Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Harshit Rana.