IND vs ENG: Why KL Rahul is not playing in India Vs. England 2nd ODI in Cardiff?

KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan (PTI Photo) India’s wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul has missed the second ODI against England at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff after falling ill. The visitors made one change to their playing XI as Rahul replaced Ishan Kishan.England captain Harry Brook won the toss and elected to field first in the hope of taking advantage of the conditions. India, meanwhile, said they would have preferred to bowl as well, but were forced into a change due to Rahul’s absence. India captain Shubman Gill confirmed the reason at the toss: “We would have looked first as well. We did well and are very happy. We had a perfect game, hopefully we can repeat it today. We started well and it was great to see the fast bowlers doing well. Very good memories. We have one change, KL is sick and Ishan is coming in for him.”Rahul’s illness meant that Ishan Kishan returned to the ODI side and took over the wicket duties. The rest of the Indian XI remained unchanged from the opening match, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna retaining their places.England also made two changes to their side. Harry Brook confirmed that Josh Tongue and Liam Dawson have been replaced by Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson.The second ODI is crucial for England after India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with a six-wicket win in the opener. India will be looking to seal the series in Cardiff while England need a win to keep the competition alive heading into the ODI final.With the conditions expected to favor both the seamers early and the batsmen later in the innings, England opted to bat first in an attempt to make the most of the fresh pitch and overhead conditions.

India vs. England 2nd ODI Playing XI

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh KrishnaEngland (Playing XI): Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook(c), Jos Buttler(w), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood