India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to field first against the West Indies in the second One Day International at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on September 30, 2026. The fixture brought a major milestone for the host side as seam-bowling all-rounder Auqib Nabi was handed his maiden international cap.
Nabi entered the playing XI as the sole change for India, replacing all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. With this appearance, the 29-year-old became only the third cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir to represent India at the international level, following Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik.
Domestic Brilliance Leads to National Call-Up
Vice-captain KL Rahul presented the debut cap to Nabi prior to the start of play. This honored a remarkable domestic journey that paved the way for his selection. Born on November 4, 1996, Nabi built his reputation as a disciplined swing bowler. He is recognized for his consistent line and length and his ability to move the ball in both directions.
His selection followed stellar performances in domestic red-ball and white-ball competitions. Across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Ranji Trophy campaigns, Nabi took a total of 104 wickets. During the standout 2025-26 season, he finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 60 scalps in 17 innings at an average of 12.65. This performance led Jammu & Kashmir to their maiden Ranji Trophy title and earned him the Player of the Tournament award.
Before making his international bow, Nabi maintained strong numbers in List A cricket. He recorded 56 wickets and 572 runs across 36 matches, which included an unbeaten 114 against Hyderabad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Series Context and Team Strategies
India entered the Guwahati encounter holding a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. They secured this lead with a dominant eight-wicket victory in the opening match at Thiruvananthapuram on September 27. In that fixture, the team chased down a target of 296 thanks to a 110 from captain Shubman Gill and an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls by Virat Kohli.
By bringing in Nabi, the Indian team management added bowling variety over the batting depth offered by Nitish Kumar Reddy. The pace attack for the second ODI features Nabi alongside Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar, supported by the spin options of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.
Meanwhile, the West Indies made multiple lineup adjustments. Centurion Justin Greaves was sidelined due to a calf injury sustained during the series opener. Captain Shai Hope and his squad made four changes overall to level the series and force a deciding third match in New Chandigarh.
Playing XIs for the Second ODI
India Playing XI
- Rohit Sharma
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Virat Kohli
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Naman Dhir
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Auqib Nabi
- Gurnoor Brar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Prasidh Krishna
West Indies Playing XI
- John Campbell
- Keacy Carty
- Shai Hope (c/wk)
- Amir Jangoo
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Roston Chase
- Keemo Paul
- Alzarri Joseph
- Shamar Joseph
- Jayden Seales
- Vitel Lawes
