Former India cricketer Abhishek Nayar has shared his predicted India playing XI for the first ODI against Afghanistan in Dharamshala on Saturday, June 13. Nayar backed Yashasvi Jaiswal to bat at No. 3, a role that could give the young left-hander an opportunity to strengthen his place in India’s ODI setup.
with a hamstring injury. Kohli picked up the injury while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad, forcing the selectors to make a change.
Abhishek Nayar Backs Yashasvi Jaiswal for No. 3 Role
Speaking on Star Sports, Abhishek Nayar backed Yashasvi Jaiswal to bat at No. 3 in India’s ODI lineup. He believes Jaiswal should follow openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, allowing India to maintain balance while giving the young left-hander an important role in the batting order.
“Open with Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma. Yashasvi Jaiswal will play at No. 3, Shreyas Iyer at No. 4, KL Rahul at No. 5, Hardik Pandya at No. 6, Washington Sundar at No. 7, and Harsh Dubey at No. 8,” Nayar said.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission from the original squad sparked debate. The left-hander had already shown his ODI potential in 2025 when he scored his maiden century against South Africa after replacing an injured Shubman Gill.
Abhishek Nayar Wants Harsh Dubey in India’s Playing XI
Abhishek Nayar believes Harsh Dubey should be included in India’s playing XI for the first ODI against Afghanistan. The former India all-rounder said Dubey’s left-arm spin and all-round ability could add valuable balance to the side.
“I feel Harsh Dubey will play because you will need a left-arm spinner. He is an all-rounder. He played for SRH this year. It would be interesting to see which fast bowlers play because I would like to see Prasidh Krishna’s workload management. He has been extremely injury-prone. He has returned after stress fractures,” he said.
Harsh Dubey strengthened his case for selection with a solid IPL 2026 season for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Prasidh Krishna, meanwhile, remains a player whose workload needs careful management. The fast bowler has suffered multiple injuries in recent years, including stress fractures in his back.
Abhishek Nayar’s India playing 11 for IND vs AFG 2026 1st ODI:
Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav/extra seamer
Abhishek Nayar Wants India to Try Gurnoor Brar or Prince Yadav
Abhishek Nayar believes India should give either Gurnoor Brar or Prince Yadav an opportunity in the first ODI against Afghanistan. Nayar also said the final spot in the playing XI should depend on the pitch conditions.
“So, if you have to give a chance, see Gurnoor Brar because he is a good bowler. He is tall and was with this Test team as well. So he should be given a chance. Prince Yadav has obviously performed very well. So I would like to see either Prince Yadav or Gurnoor with Arshdeep, and manage Prasidh a little because he has played a lot of cricket.”
“Arshdeep Singh at No. 9, and it will be Gurnoor Brar for me at No. 10, but Prasidh Krishna might play there. At No. 11, depending on conditions, either Kuldeep Yadav or an extra seamer.”
Gurnoor Brar has taken 12 wickets in nine List A matches, while Prince Yadav has claimed 29 wickets in 14 List A games. India will be looking for a strong start under captain Shubman Gill after losing their previous ODI series 2-1 at home to New Zealand.