The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai witnessed a masterclass in tempo bowling as India clashed with Afghanistan within the third ODI on June 20, 2026. Trying to seal a dominant efficiency within the IND vs AFG collection, the Indian cricket staff got here out firing on all cylinders. Whereas Chennai is traditionally well-known for aiding spinners, it was India’s towering speedster Prasidh Krishna who stole the headlines, completely dismantling the Afghanistan top-order throughout the preliminary powerplay. Supported by spectacular, razor-sharp slip fielding from captain Rohit Sharma, India left the guests reeling in a tactical bowling clinic.
Prasidh Krishna dominates Afghanistan in third ODI as Rohit Sharma takes sharp catches in slips
Krishna began his onslaught on the very first ball of his spell. Working at 135 km/h, he delivered a beautiful size ball that carried roughly 2.5 levels of late outswing. Afghanistan’s harmful opener, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, tried to drive on the up, solely to be undone by the motion. The ball took a thick exterior edge and flew straight into the safe arms of Rohit at first slip, sending Gurbaz again for simply 5.
Krishna wasn’t accomplished but. In his subsequent over, he clocking 141 km/h, concentrating on Rahmat Shah with a seam-up supply that held its line superbly. Tempted into an early flick towards midwicket, Rahmat closed the face of his bat too quickly, leading to a looping vanguard. Displaying phenomenal anticipation, Rohit lunged to his left, stabilizing the ball in opposition to his thigh earlier than clutching it safely to go away Afghanistan stuttering at 26 for two.
The deadly blow to the highest order arrived in Krishna’s fourth over. Bowling a fuller size at 139 km/h, he lured Ibrahim Zadran into an expansive cowl drive. The ball formed away late, kissing the skin edge and flying to first slip. Rohit accomplished a hat-trick of catches, pouching it effortlessly. At 28 for 3, Krishna’s astonishing figures learn 3.2-2-4-3, turning the competition firmly in India’s favour.
Right here’s the video:
Equivalent setups, equivalent outcomes 🔄
Prasidh Krishna 🤝 Rohit Sharma 😎
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— BCCI (@BCCI) June 20, 2026
Additionally READ: Here’s why KL Rahul is not playing today’s game against Afghanistan in the 3rd ODI
Krishna joins unique membership of Indian bowlers with high powerplay figures in ODIs since 2002
This blistering opening spell firmly embedded Krishna into the historical past books of Indian white-ball cricket. By extracting fierce bounce and swing on a sticky Chennai deck, Krishna registered one of the economical and harmful powerplay spells by an Indian bowler in over 20 years.
His preliminary devastation of 4 wickets for a mere 6 runs slots him proper alongside India’s elite modern-day quick bowlers. Right here is how his statistical masterclass compares in opposition to one of the best powerplay performances by Indian bowlers in ODIs since 2002:
| Bowler | Opponent | Powerplay Figures |
| Mohammed Siraj | vs Sri Lanka | 5 wickets for 7 runs |
| Prasidh Krishna | vs Afghanistan | 4 wickets for six runs |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | vs Sri Lanka | 4 wickets for 7 runs |
| Jasprit Bumrah | vs England | 4 wickets for 9 runs |
| Mohammed Siraj | vs Sri Lanka | 4 wickets for 17 runs |
Krishna’s capacity to keep up a decent line whereas consistently trying to find movement left the Afghan batters with no solutions. Mixed with Rohit’s flawless, gold-standard slip catching, India confirmed why their bowling depth stays arguably probably the most intimidating asset in world cricket.
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