24-year-old fast bowler Prince Yadav made his international debut for India on Wednesday, receiving his maiden ODI cap ahead of the second match of the series against Afghanistan at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
According to reports from CricToday, Yadav, who plays for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, was selected for the starting XI following a strong domestic season where he claimed 16 wickets. Shreyas Iyer presented the youngster with his cap before the match. The right-arm pacer has previously demonstrated consistency in the List A format, recording 29 wickets in 14 matches.
India’s team composition saw three changes for the encounter. Alongside Yadav’s inclusion, the management brought in Yashasvi Jaiswal to replace the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy, while veteran spinner Kuldeep Yadav returned to the side in place of Harsh Dubey. The hosts currently lead the three-match series, having secured a victory in the rain-affected opener in Dharamsala.
Afghanistan also made significant adjustments to their roster due to fitness concerns. Mohammad Nabi was sidelined due to illness, while Azmatullah Omarzai and Ziaur Rahman were ruled out due to fitness issues. They were replaced by Bilal Sami, Darwish Rasooli, and Nangeyalia Kharoti.