Nitish Kumar Reddy missed out on playing the second ODI match between India and Afghanistan at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow due to a sore left thigh, which involves a quadricep issue.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared an official update right after the toss on Wednesday, confirming that the 23-year-old all-rounder was completely unavailable for selection. The BCCI medical team stated that they are keeping a close watch on his thigh injury. A quadricep strain can be painful and limits a player's ability to run fast or bowl long spells. Because of this, the management chose to rest him so he does not make the injury worse. Reddy was a key reason why India won the first ODI match in Dharamshala to take a 1-0 lead in the series. In that opening game, he bowled beautifully and picked up two crucial wickets.

His ability to break partnerships and bowl tight overs made him a major weapon for captain Shubman Gill, which is why his sudden injury is such a big setback for the team. Reddy is a fast-bowling all-rounder, meaning he can bat in the middle order and bowl crucial medium-pace overs. Losing him threw off the team's balance. Indian captain Shubman Gill admitted that without Reddy, India was forced to play the match with only five frontline bowling options. Usually, captains like having a sixth option in case one bowler has a bad day. Gill mentioned that because of this tricky team combination, he would have preferred to bowl first, but Afghanistan won the toss and sent India in to bat instead.

Prince Yadav makes India debut at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow

Prince Yadav has officially made his international cricket debut for India today at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.The young fast bowler was handed his maiden ODI cap by senior teammate Shreyas Iyer in the team huddle just before the start of the second ODI match against Afghanistan. The Ekana Cricket Stadium is a very special place for Prince Yadav to make his debut because it is his home ground in the IPL. He has spent the last two seasons playing at this stadium for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).Knowing the pitch and conditions so well will help him stay calm on the big international stage.

Prince Yadav’s journey from a quiet village near Najafgarh in Delhi to the Indian national team is an incredible story of hard work. He first caught the eyes of talent scouts with his performance in the Delhi Premier League, playing under Rishabh Pant for Purani Delhi 6. Playing for LSG in the IPL 2026 season, Prince became a household name. He stood out as a premier uncapped bowler, famously taking 13 wickets in just 8 games early on and even clean-bowling superstar Virat Kohli. He finished as Delhi's highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. He followed that up by destroying batting lineups in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 18 wickets in 8 matches at a brilliant average of 19.27.