India set sights on ODIs as Afghanistan hope to inflict upset
After conquering the one-off Test against Afghanistan, Team India set their sights on the three-match ODI series starting from tomorrow. As the preparation begins for the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2027, the Men in Blue will be hopeful of a strong performance in Dharamsala against Afghanistan.
In recent times India has suffered in the ODIs with three losses in their last five encounters, including a series defeat at home against New Zealand. One of the major litmus tests for Team India in the upcoming series will be their new-look bowling attack. Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh will have the onus of leading the charge while Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav, who hasn’t got international experience, will be hopeful of bookending the Indian attack.
Despite a strong gulf between the two forces, Afghanistan will be coming to this encounter on the back of a strong show in recent times. They have won four of their last ODIs and will be eyeing a massive upset against a side that they have never beaten in the format.
However, one crucial factor that might shape up the fate of the game can be the absence of both the teams from the format. India played their last ODI in January while Afghanistan had their last clash in October 2025. With the high-intensity action of the T20Is being in plenty, players might take a bit of time to switch to the ODI rhythm.
Venue Watch
The track in Dharamsala has been conducive for the batters in recent times. The new ball will move around slightly and once the lacquer comes off, then the batters will try and feast upon what is a belter of a batting track. The bounce has usually been true on the surface, signalling the smooth carry of the cricket ball to the bat. As the game transitions to lights, the start of the second innings might see bowlers making a few strides with the new ball on. But the onset of dew latter in the game will once again prove to be a critical momentum shift for the batters.
Match detail:
Match: India vs Afghanistan, 1st ODI
Venue: HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala
Date: 13th June, 2026
Time: 1:30 PM
Head-to-head:
Matches played: 4
India: 3
Afghanistan: 0
Squads:
India:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma*, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya*, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey
Afghanistan:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharotai, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Malik, Bilal Sami
