Overview
- India beat Afghanistan in a rain‑reduced 25‑over first ODI in Dharamsala to lead the three‑match series 1–0.
- Nitish Kumar Reddy finished with 2 for 31 from four overs and yorked Rahmanullah Gurbaz, a wicket described by match reports as the turning point in Afghanistan’s collapse to 194.
- Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar praised Reddy’s yorker and said the player can serve as a tactical fifth or sixth bowler, giving captains and selectors more flexibility.
- Reddy’s rise follows a strong IPL 2026 showing of 302 runs and eight wickets plus off‑season work on his bowling, and his role is being evaluated while senior all‑rounder Hardik Pandya recovers.
- The series moves to Lucknow on June 17 with India expected to continue using these home ODIs to test bench depth and fine‑tune options ahead of longer international tournaments.