India vs Afghanistan 3rd ODI is going to be dead-rubbed but can contain interesting contest between both sides. India have already wrapped up the series with a 2-0 lead heading into the third and final ODI against Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on June 20, 2026. With nothing left to play for in terms of the result, this match becomes a genuine opportunity for India to test fresh combinations while Afghanistan look for pride and a consolation win.
Match Overview
This is a dead rubber in the truest sense, but that does not make it any less interesting. India sealed the series with a dominant 170-run win in Lucknow, their second comprehensive victory of the tour. Afghanistan have shown flashes of quality throughout the series without ever putting together a complete performance across both innings.
The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is hosting its first ODI since recent renovation work at the ground. Historically a bat-first venue, the last five matches played here have actually gone the way of the chasing team, suggesting the surface may behave differently than its reputation suggests.
Top Performers From the 2nd ODI in Lucknow
India’s batting was the story of the second match. Shubman Gill scored a brilliant 154 and Ishan Kishan smashed 125, with the pair adding 224 runs together to power India to a massive total of 402. Gill battled cramps in the Lucknow heat but still went on to win Player of the Match for his innings. This fighting spirit he learnt from Yuvraj Singh. Yuvraj Singh is set coach Delhi Capitals in IPL 2027.
With the bat finished, India’s bowlers took over. Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar each picked up three wickets to dismantle Afghanistan’s middle order after Rahmat Shah had fought hard with 79. Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 232, giving India a 170-run win and an unassailable series lead.
India’s Likely Changes for Chennai
With the series already decided, India’s team management have signalled they will experiment with their combinations in Chennai. Seam-bowling allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy missed the Lucknow ODI with a sore thigh but bowled without discomfort in training and could return for this match.
Yashasvi Jaiswal may get another opportunity after falling cheaply in the previous game, with the team management keen to give him more time to settle into the format. Harshit Rana has also been added to the squad after recovering from knee surgery, though India are unlikely to rush him straight into the playing XI given his lack of recent match practice.
India will likely have to choose between the left-arm finger spin of Harsh Dubey and the left-arm wrist spin of Kuldeep Yadav, with both options offering something different on a Chepauk surface that traditionally helps spinners. There is also an interesting subplot around the squad picture beyond this series, with Rishabh Pant set for a blockbuster return to Delhi Capitals after agreeing to a major IPL pay cut, a reminder that the bigger conversations in Indian cricket right now extend well beyond this dead rubber in Chennai.
India Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.
Afghanistan Look for a Consolation Win
Afghanistan have had moments of real promise in this series without converting them into results. Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 102 in the first ODI and Rahmat Shah’s gritty 79 in the second match showed genuine quality in their batting unit. The problem has been consistency across a full 50 overs from the rest of the order.
Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi will be desperate for his side to put together a complete performance in the last match of the tour. A win in Chennai would not change the series outcome but would give Afghanistan something positive to take home after a difficult few weeks in India.
Chepauk Pitch Report
The MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch has long carried a reputation as a surface that helps spinners, especially as a match progresses into the second innings. However, the venue’s recent renovation and the trend of the last five matches favouring chasing teams suggests conditions may now be more balanced than in the past.
Both Kuldeep Yadav and Rashid Khan could be key figures if the pitch turns as expected. Teams winning the toss may now lean towards bowling first given the recent pattern of results at this ground.
Head to Head and Series Context
India have never lost an ODI bilateral series to Afghanistan and have now extended that dominance with a 2-0 series win before this final match has even been played. This dead rubber offers India the chance to manage workloads and assess depth ahead of a packed international calendar building towards the 2027 World Cup cycle.
For Afghanistan, every match against a side of India’s quality is valuable experience, even when the series result is already settled. Their improvement as a white-ball unit over the past two years has been clear, even if the results in this series have not reflected it.
Conclusion
This third ODI in Chennai carries little significance for the series outcome but plenty of value for India’s squad planning. Gill and Kishan have already delivered the headlines this series, and Chennai gives players like Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy a chance to make their own case. Afghanistan will simply want to leave India with one positive result to show for a tour that has tested their depth at every turn. Check out this massive news for IPL 2027 as Rishabh Pant is going to be traded from LSG to DC.
