The India National Cricket Team crushed the Afghanistan National Cricket Team by 170 runs in the second ODI and sealed the three-match series in Lucknow on Wednesday, June 17, thanks to stunning centuries from the history maker Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill.
With this massive victory, India now has taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead, with the final ODI scheduled for June 20 in Chennai. Gill showed incredible determination by battling extreme heat and cramps to score a brilliant 154, while Ishan smashed his second ODI century.
Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan’s batting storm seals ODI series for India
After winning the toss, Afghanistan chose to bowl first under the scorching sun, and the decision backfired badly in Lucknow. The weather was one of the biggest challenges during the second ODI on Wednesday.
Players from both teams struggled because of the heat and cramps. The impact was such that Gill was seen batting with an ice collar around his neck and led from the front. However, Shubman Gill didn’t return to the field during the second innings in Lucknow.
On the other hand, Ishan smashed 125 runs off 78 balls to prove why many believe he can be a key player for India in the future. They completely took the match away from Afghanistan with a sensational 224-run stand off just 141 balls for the third wicket.
How Shubman Gill helped Ishan Kishan stay calm in 2nd IND vs AFG ODI
After India clinched the ODI series against Afghanistan, Ishan Kishan credited Shubman Gill for his remarkable knock in Lucknow. The left-hander revealed that whenever he looked eager to attack too early, the Indian captain helped him stay calm and stick to the plan.
Ishan Kishan said in a video posted by BCCI on its official website: “I think, to be very honest, I was just keeping it simple. And you know, the plan was to be in a good partnership when Gill was batting in there.”
“He wanted me to just keep on batting because at the end of the day, I think the wicket was pretty good for the batters, and we knew that when we wanted to just take on the bowlers, we could do it at any point in time. So, the plan was just to keep it simple and play those good shots when needed.”
Ishan Kishan reveals how Shubman Gill stopped him from throwing away his wicket
Speaking about his partnership with Gill and how he helped him in the middle, the wicketkeeper said that their understanding and trust in each other played a huge role in building such a massive partnership against Afghanistan in Lucknow.
Ishan said, “The best part is you need to trust your leader always. Because when I was in there, there were times when I was just rushing into things, but I was looking for boundaries, but at the same time, he was keeping me calm in the middle, saying, “You still have enough time.”
‘Sometimes trust is the most important thing’
He explained that he trusted Gill’s advice during their partnership because the Indian captain knows how to build big innings, and his guidance helped with confidence and staying calm at the crease.
Ishan signed off by saying, “He’s someone who got that rhythm very right from the first game when he played for India. He knows how to score runs. He knows how to make it big. So, you know, sometimes trust is the most important thing. So, I was just trusting what he was saying. It was much easier for me in the middle today.”
Come for the Ishan Kishan-Arshdeep Singh interview 🎙️
..And stay for Captain Shubman Gill’s questions 😁
WATCH 🎥🔽 – By @mihirlee_58#TeamIndia | #INDvAFG | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @ishankishan51 | @arshdeepsinghh | @ShubmanGill https://t.co/aiSU3aSdyi
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 18, 2026
Well, India piled up a huge total of 402 runs, thanks to the brilliant centuries from Gill and Ishan. Chasing the target, Afghanistan never managed to recover after India’s batting assault and eventually fell 170 runs short of the target in Lucknow.
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Author: Rashmi Wasnik
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