1st ODI Updates: India thump Afghanistan by 7 wickets

Sat, 13 June 2026

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22:20

Gill's unbeaten 84 guides India to dominant win

India 195-3 (22.5 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

Azmatullah Omarzai is back with his fourth over and Shubman Gill cuts the first delivery over the fielder at point for a boundary.

Follows it up with a single through off-side.

Four! KL Rahul drives a full delivery through extra cover for a boundary.

India need just four runs.

A dot later, Rahul finishes the game with a boundary straight down the ground.

Skipper Shubman Gill struck 84 not out to headline India's seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in their rain-truncated first ODI in Dharamsala.

In a contest which was reduced to 25 overs per side, India replied with 195/3 in 22.5 overs against Afghanistan's 194 in 24.5 overs.

Gill struck 84 not out off 66 balls with 11 fours and two sixes, while Ishan Kishan made 34 and KL Rahul scored a 19-ball 39 not out in India's chase.

Earlier, Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck a rapid 51-ball 102 (8 fours, 8 sixes) but three wickets each for Indian debutants Gurnoor Brar (3/27) and Harsh Dubey (3/47) prevented Afghanistan from going past the 200-run mark.

Brief scores: Afghanistan 194 in 24.5 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 102; Arshdeep Singh 2/27, Gurnoor Brar 3/27, Harsh Dubey 3/47, Nitish Kumar Reddy 2/31) lost to India 195/3 in 22.5 overs (Shubman Gill 84 not out, Ishan Kishan 34, KL Rahul 39 not out; Rashid Khan 1/37) by 7 wickets.

22:05

India inch closer to easy win

India 182-3 (22 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

AM Ghazanfar with his final over and Shubman Gill plays out a dot before picking up a couple by pushing the next ball to wide of long-on.

He then gets off the strike with a single to mid-wicket.

Three more singles to end the 6-run over.

Zia Ur Rahman with his fourth over and KL Rahul smashes the slower half-tracker over the long-on fence for a maximum.

Four! Full delivery and Rahul smashes it through extra cover and the ball runs away to the fence.

Three in a row! Short delivery and Rahul hits it straight past the bowler for another boundary.

Two dots follows.

Six! Rahul finishes the over with a six by lofting a full delivery over the long-off fence.

20 runs came off the over.

India need 13 off 18 balls.

21:55

India need 39 off 30 balls

India 156-3 (20 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

Azmatullah Omarzai is back into the attack and KL Rahul uses the pace and guides the quicker delivery outside off over the third man fence for a six.

Follows it up with a single in front of square.

A dot later, Shubman Gill carves one through mid-wicket for a couple.

A single and a dot to end the 10-run over.

Rashid Khan is bowling out and Gill jabs one to long-on for a single.

Two dots later, Rahul taps one to cover point for a single.

A single to long-on and a dot to end the over. Just three runs came off Rashid's final over. He finishes his quota of five overs with figuers of 1/37.

India need 39 off 30 balls.

21:46

India need 52 off 42 balls

India 143-3 (18 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

AM Ghazanfar is back into the attack with his third and beats Shreyas Iyer on the outside edge with a short delivery on off before Shreyas drives one through covers for a single.

Two dots later, Shubman Gill nudges a tossed-up delivery to mid-wicket and gets a single.

A dot to end the over. Just 2 runs came off it.

India need 58 off 48 balls.

Zia Ur Rahman continues and Gill picks up a single off the first delivery before Shreyas pulls the next delivery over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Out! Shreys goes, caught by Saleem Saifi as he looks to go over the in-field off a hard length delivery but holes out straight to the fielder at mid-on.

Shreyas falls for 12 off 15 balls with a lone hit to the fence.

KL Rahul comes to the crease and slashes hard at a back of a length delivery outside off and gets off the mark with a single to third man.

Two dots to end the 6-run over.

India need 52 off 42 balls.

21:37

Gill in full flow; India on top

India 135-2 (16 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

Rashid Khan with his fourth over and Shreyas Iyer defends the first delivery before pushing the next to long-on for a single.

Rashid then bowls a quicker delivery on off which Shubman Gill defends on the front foot before lofting the next over extra cover for a boundary.

Two singles to finish the over. 7 runs came off it.

India need 63 off 60 balls.

Zia Ur Rahman is back into the attack with his second over and Shreyas clips one off his pads to backward square leg for a single.

Two dots later, Gill steps down and hits one square of the wicket and ball lands safely in front of the fielder. A single is taken.

A dot and a single to end the 3-run over.

21:29

Sublime Gill keeps India in hunt

India 125-2 (14 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

Rashid Khan with his third over and Shubman Gill drives the tossed-up delivery on off through extra cover for a boundary.

Follows it up with a single to sweeper cover.

Ishan Kishan the plays out a dot before picking up a couple thorugh deep backward point.

A dot later, Kishan is dismissed, bowled by Rasheed.

Kishan goes for 34 off 22 balls with three boundaries and a six.

Shreys Iyer comes to the crease and gets off the mark with a single to sweeper cover.

8 runs came off the over.

India need 78 off 72 balls with 8 wickets in hand.

Saleem Safi is back into the attack and starts off with a slow bouncer outside off and is called a wide for height.

A dot later, Shreyas Iyer gets off the strike with a single to mid-on.

Gill then plays out a dot before smashing one to the deep mid-wicket fence.

Follows it up with a single to deep backward point.

A single to deep mid-wicket to end the 8-run over.

21:18

Gill hits fifty; India in control

India 109-1 (12 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

Rasheed Khan continues and Ishan Kishan punches one to mid-on for a single.

Gill then plays out a dot before hammering a full delivery over the deep mid-wicket fence for a maximum.

Follows it up with a single to sweeper cover.

Two more singles to end the 10-run over.

Mohammad Nabi with his second over and starts off with a full delivery which Gill pulls over the deep mid-wicket fence for a six.

A dot later, Gill drills one straight down the ground for a boundary and brings up 3,000 runs in ODIs.

A dot later, Gill completes his fifty off 37 balls with a boundary to deep mid-wicket off a shortish delivery.

A single to sweeper cover to end the 15-run over.

India need 86 off 78 balls.

21:11

Kishan on the attack; India on top

India 84-1 (10 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

Rashid Khan comes into the attack and Ishan Kishan whips one off his pads to deep square leg for a couple.

Two singles and a dot follow before Kishan pulls a shortish delivery to deep mid-wicket boundary.

A single to long-on to end the 9-run over.

Mohammad Nabi comes into the attack and starts off with a shortish delivery on middle and Kishan goes on his backfoot and pulls it to the fence through backward square leg.

A dot later Kishan pulls the next over deep mid-wicket fence for a maximum.

A dot and a single to mid-wicket follow.

Gill then finishes the over with another dot. 11 runs came off the over.

India need 111 off 90 balls.

21:03

Gill, Kishan steady India

India 64-1 (8 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

Mohammad Saleem continues and hits Ishan Kishan on the pads with a full delivery sliding down the leg.

A wide way outside off follows.

A single to third man brings Shubman Gill back on strike.

A dot and a single follows before Kishan clips one to deep backward square leg for a couple.

Four! Kishan finishes the over with a boundary the backward square leg.

9 runs came off the over.

AM Ghazanfar with his third over and Gill mishits one to the leg-side and gets a single.

Kishan then pushes one to deep extra cover for a couple.

A single and two dots follow before Gill finishes the over with a boundary through extra cover. 8 runs came off the over.

20:53

Rohit departs; India 1 down

India 47-1 (6 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

Mohammad Saleem comes into the attack and Shubman Gill flicks a full delivery sliding down the leg to the fine leg fence.

Four dot balls follow.

Gill then top-edges the final delivery to third man but Gurbaz fails to hold onto a tough catch. Two runs taken. 6 runs off the over.

Afghanistan finish the Powerplay with 40 without loss.

AM Ghazanfar continues and Rohit Sharma works one down to long-on for a single.

Four! Shortish delivery and Gill dispatches it to the deep mid-wicket fence.

A single to the sweeper cover follows.

Out! Rohit Sharma runs himself out, looking to steal a single after tucking one to mid-wicket.

Rohit goes for 16 off as many balls with two boundaries and a six.

Ishan Kishan comes to the crease and gets off the mark with a single to backward square leg.

A dot to end the seven-run over.

20:43

Gill, Rohit give India a solid start

India 34-0 (4 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

Azmat Omarzai continues and Rohit Sharma hits one straight to the fielder at point.

Another dot later, Rohit pulls a back of a length delivery over deep square leg for a maximum. 16,000 international runs for him.

Two dots later, he pulls again and the ball lands just in front of the boundary cushion and bounces over. Four runs.

10 runs came off the over.

AM Ghazanfar comes into the attack and Shubman Gill drills one through sweeper cover for a boundary.

A dot later, Afghanistan appeal for caught behind. They challenge the on-field decision of not out. Flat line as the ball passes the bat. Afghanistan lose the review.

Two more dots follow as Gill fails to find gaps on off-side.

A single to mid-wicket to end the five-run over.

20:33

India off to a watchful start

India 19-0 (2 Ovs) vs Afg 194 all out | Scorecard

India openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are ready for the chase. India need 195 in 150 balls.

Azmatullah Omarzai to open the attack for Afghanistan. Rohit Sharma is on strike and Omarzai bangs one wide off off-stump beating both batter and keeper as the ball races away to the fence. (5 wides).

Another wide outside off follows and is also called a no-ball.

Free-hit and Omarzai bowls one more wide.

Rohit looks to pull the next ball and is hit on the right wrist. He is in pain and the physio is out attending to him.

Rohit is back and he defends the next delivery down the track for no run.

Two dots later, he gets off the mark with a single to fine leg.

Gill is on strike and two slips in place.

Another dot to end the 8-run over.

Zia Ur Rahman to bowl from the other end and Rohit crunches a back of a length delivery through extra cover for a boundary.

Follows it up with a single to the leg-side.

Four! Gill opens his account with an elegant drive through covers for a boundary.

A dot and a couple through long-off follow.

A dot to end the 11-run over.

20:08

Brar, Dubey scalp 3 each on debut

Afghanistan 194 all out (24.5 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Gurnoor Brar to bowl the final over and Zia Ur Rahman chips the first delivery over in-field and KL Rahul dives to save the boundary but his boot touches the cushions. Four runs.

A slower bouncer and Rahman steals a single (byes) to bring Rashid Khan on strike.

Out! Rashid is bowled by Brar. Full delivery and Rashid moves away and swings hard but is beaten and the leg stump goes for a walk.

Rashid goes for 9 off 13 balls with two boundaries.

Saleem Safi comes to the crease and gets off the mark with a single to mid-off.

Out! Zia Ur Rahman is out, caught by Arshdeep Singh.

Afghanistan are all out for 194 in 24.5 overs.

Third wicket on debut for Brar.

Debutants Harsh Dubey and Brar took three wickets apiece but Rahmanullah Gurbaz's quickfire 102 powered Afghanistan to 194 in their rain-truncated opening ODI against India in Dharamsala.

The contest was reduced to a 25-overs-per-side affair due to relentless rain earlier in the day.

Dubey was slightly expensive but returned 3/47 from his allotted five overs while Brar remained consistent in his pace to return 4.5-0-27-3.

But it was the Afghan opener who dazzled with a 51-ball 102 which included eight hits to the fence and as many over it.

Brief scores: Afghanistan 194 in 24.5 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 102; Arshdeep Singh 2/27, Gurnoor Brar 3/27, Harsh Dubey 3/47, Nitish Kumar Reddy 2/31) vs India.

19:53

Dubey picks 3 on debut; Afg 8 down

Afghanistan 188-8 (24 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Arshdeep Singh is back into the attack with his final over and Rashid Khan punches a low full toss to cover before whips the next to square leg for no run.

A single off the third over as Rasheed top-edges a low full toss behind square.

Three dots to end the over. Just a single came off it.

Prasidh Krishna is back into the attack and Rashid Khan swings and misses the first two balls.

Four! Rashid hits a slower delivery through deep mid-wicket and gets a boundary.

Slower bouncer outside off and is called a wide.

A dot and a single to fine leg follow.

Another dot to end the five-run over.

19:45

Dubey picks 3 on debut; Afg 8 down

Afghanistan 182-8 (22 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Nitish Kumar Reddy is back into the attack and concedes a single before Mohammad Nabi launches him for a six over wide of long-on.

Reddy then strikes back by dismissing Nabi, caught by Arshdeep Singh with a full delivery on off which Nabi holes out to Arshdeep at long-off.

Nabi goes for 9 off 14 balls with one six.

Rashid Khan comes to the crease and gets off the mark with a boundary through mid-off.

Two dots to end the 11-run over.

Harsh Dubey with his final over and Azmatullah Omarzai hits him through the line and the ball sails over the ropes for a six.

Out! Omarzai is out, stumped by Ishan Kishan. Dubey picks up his second wicket of the night. Quicker delivery and Omarzai steps out and swings across the line but misses. Easy stumping for Kishan.

Omarzai goes for 26 off 16 balls with three sixes.

AM Ghazanfar comes to the crease and plays out a dot.

Out! Ghazanfar is out, caught brilliantly by Shubman Gill he edges one to slip.

Ghazanfar goes for a two-ball duck.

Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi comes to the crease and plays out two dots. 6 runs came off the over.

Dubey finishes his quota with 3/47.

19:32

Afghanistan eye 200-plus total

Afghanistan 165-5 (20 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Harsh Dubey continues and Azmatullah Omarzai goes inside out and gets underneath a good length delivery and smokes it over extra cover for a maximum.

Follows it up with a single to sweeper cover.

Another single later, Omarzai steps down and lofts a full length delivery straight down the ground for a maximum.

A dot to end the 14-run over.

Prasidh Krishna to bowl the 20th over and he keeps it tight as just a two runs came off his first five deliveries.

Another dot to end the over.

19:24

India fight back with quick wickets

Afghanistan 149-5 (18 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Harsh Dubey is back into the attack and a dot later Azmatullah Omarzai gets a single through long-off.

Out! Hashmatullah Shahidi goes, caught by KL Rahul at deep off a tossed-up slower delivery. First international wicket for Dubey.

Shahidi departs after making 27 off 30 balls with three boundaries.

Mohammad Nabi comes to the crease and sees off the remaining three balls of the over. Just one run came off it.

Nitish Kumar Reddy with his third over and Nabi and Omarzai picks up two singles off the first four balls.

Two more singles to end the over. Four runs came off it.

19:15

Reddy removes centurion Gurbaz

Afghanistan 143-4 (16 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Gurnoor Brar is back into the attack and Rahmanullah Gurbaz taps the first delivery to square leg for a single.

A dot and a single follow before Brar bowls a wide down the leg.

Gurbaz completes his century off just 48 balls with a couple through mid-on. His 9th ODI hundred.

A couple more through long-off follow.

Four leg byes to end the over. 11 runs came off it.

Nitish Kumar Reddy with his second over and Gurbaz digs out a yorker to on-side for a single.

Hashmatullah Shahidi then picks up another single.

Out! Reddy cleans up Gurbaz with a beauty. Another yorker and Gurbaz has no answer to it.

Gurbaz goes for 102 off 51 balls with 8 boundaries and sixes each.

Azmatullah Omarzai comes to the crease and plays out a dot before opening his account with a single.

A dot to end the 3-run over.

19:03

Gurbaz, Shahidi put Afghanistan on top

Afghanistan 130-3 (14 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Arshdeep Singh is back into the attack and Hashmatullah Shahidi taps one to point and scampers for a single.

A dot and a single follow before Shahidi guides a shortish delivery outside off down to third man for a boundary.

Two more singles to end the 8-run over.

Nitish Kumar Reddy comes into the attack and Gurbaz lofts the first delivery down the ground for his 8th maximum of the innings.

A wide outside leg and a single to mid-wicket follow.

Overthrow and the batters cross over for a single.

Gurbaz then squeezes a yorker down the track and steals a single.

Two more singles to end the over. 12 runs came off it.

18:53

Gurbaz fifty revives Afghanistan

Afghanistan 110-3 (12 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Prasidh Krishna with his third over and Rahmanullah Gurbaz plays out a dot before slashes one over the in-field for a boundary.

Two dots later, Gurbaz bludgeons one into the stands for a huge six.

A single to sweeper cover to end the over. 11 runs came off it.

Washington Sundar comes into the attack and Gurbaz greets him with a boundary and a massive six over long-on.

Follows it up with a couple by nudging one through mid-wicket.

India review for LBW but the ball misses the leg stump. Gurbaz survives as India lose another review. A single (leg byes) added to the total.

Shahidi then taps one to point and gets a single.

Six! Gurbaz finishes the over with a huge six over long-on.

20 runs came off Sundar's first over.

18:43

Gurbaz hits 25-ball fifty

Afghanistan 79-3 (10 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Prasidh Krishna continues and cramps Hashmatullah Shahidi for room as he plays out three consecutive dots.

He gets off the strike finally with a single to third man.

Four! Shortish delivery and Gurbaz guides it over short third man for a boundary.

Four more! In the slot and Gurbaz lofts it over the infield for another boundary.

9 runs came off the over.

Harsh Dubey continues and Shahidi pulls the shortish delivery to long-on for a single.

Gurbaz then completes his fifty off 25 balls with a six over deep mid-wicket off a shortish delivery.

A dot and a single to long-off follow.

Two more singles to end the 10-run over.

18:35

Gurbaz wages a lone battle

Afghanistan 60-3 (8 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Prasidh Krishna comes into the attack and Rahmanullah Gurbaz greets him with a boundary off a fuller delivery through long-on.

A dot later, Gurbaz hits one firmly through deep mid-wicket and Harsh Dubey lets it slip through his hands and the ball races away to the boundary.

Follows it up with a single to mid-on.

Two dots to end the 9-run over.

Debutant Harsh Dubey comes into the attack with his left-arm spin and Gurbaz makes room and turns a good length delivery to mid-off for a single.

Four! Shahidi steps out and smashes one through long-off for a boundary.

A single through backward square leg follows.

Four! Gurbaz kneels down and sweeps a full delivery on leg through fine leg.

Six! Gurbaz smashes the next delivery over deep mid-wicket for a maximum.

Appeal for stumping and Gurbaz is well in. A dot to end the expensive over. 16 runs came off it.

18:22

Afghanistan crumble; India on top

Afghanistan 35-3 (6 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Arshdeep Singh continues and Rahmat Shah mis-times the first delivery to long-off but Shubman Gill drops a tough chance. Two runs taken.

A dot follows.

Out! Shah goes as Afghanistan lose their third. Looking to loft Arshdeep Singh straight down the ground, Shah loses his shape and miscues the ball to Harsh Dubey at deep mid-wicket who takes an excellent running catch.

Shah goes for 3 off 8 balls.

Hashmatullah Shahidi comes to the crease and plays out two dots before getting off the mark with a single to deep backward point.

3 runs came off the over.

Gurnoor Brar with his third over and Shahidi drives the fullish delivery through cover and picks up a couple.

Follows it up with a single through backward point.

A single through mid-on and a dot follow.

Four! Width on offer and Shahidi carves it through deep backward point for a boundary.

A dot to end the 8-run over.

18:12

Afghanistan in trouble

Afghanistan 24-2 (4 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Arshdeep continues and Rahmanullah Gurbaz plays out a dot before hitting one uppishly to deep mid-wicket and gets three runs.

Out! Afghanistan lose their second. Sediqullah Atal is out, LBW. Although he reviewed the on-field decision, it is umpire's call as the ball appears to be clipping leg stump.

Atal goes for a duck off 2 balls.

Rahmat Shah comes to the crease and gets off the mark with a single to square leg.

Gurbaz on strike and gets hit on the pads. Arshdeep appeals but Shubman Gill is not convinced.

Another dot to end the over. 4 runs came off it.

Gurnoor Brar with his second over and Shah plays out three dots before getting off the strike with a single (leg byes).

Gurbaz finishes the over with a massive six over deep square leg. 7 runs came off the over.

17:59

Brar strikes; Afghanistan 1 down

Afghanistan 13-1 (2 ovs) vs India | Scorecard

Since it's a 25-overs-per-side game, five bowlers can bowl five overs each. The batting Powerplay will be for 5 overs.

Afghanistan openers Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz are out in the middle.

Arshdeep Singh will open the bowling for India. Gurbaz is on strike he charges down to attack and an away-going delivery but gets beaten.

A wide outside the leg follows before Gurbaz lets the next delivery, moving away outside off, alone.

Four! Width on offer and Gurbaz cuts it away through deep backward point and gets off the mark with a boundary.

A dot later, Gurbaz dances down and lofts one straight down the ground for a six.

A dot to end the 11-run over.

Debutant Gurnoor Brar to bowl from the other end and he starts off with a away going delivery which Zadran looks to drive but gets beaten.

Another dot later, Zadran opens his account with a single to mid-wicket.

Gurbaz then works one down to third man and gets off the strike with a single.

Out! Leaving edge and Zadran is caught by Subhman Gill.

Brar has his first wicket in international cricket in his very first over!

Zadran goes for 1 off 4 balls.

Sediqullah Atal is the new man in and Brar hits him on the pads. India review the on-field decision of not out. Pitching outside leg and India lose the review.

Just 2 runs came off the over.

17:25

India win toss, opt to bowl

India skipper Shubman Gill has won the toss and has elected to bowl against Afghanistan in the first ODI of the three-match series in Dharamsala.

The game has been shortened to a 25-overs-per-side contest due to wet conditions.

Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar are making their Team India debut.

KL Rahul will bat at No. 3 while Ishan Kishan will keep the wickets.

Gill said after winning the toss: "It's a bit overcast, so the bowlers might get some help. Looks like a good surface, good wicket to bat on, could be something early on for the pacers. It's all about trying different combinations to see what works for us. We're going with two debutants. Jaiswal, Prince and Kuldeep miss out."

Have a look at the Playing XIs:

India: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.

Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (Wicketkeeper), Rashid Khan, Mohammad Saleem Safi, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi.

17:11

Match set to start at 5.45 pm

There is finally some good news from Dharamsala as the rain has eased and the groundstaff have started the drying process.

On-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Rohan Pandit have inspected the conditions, while the covers are being removed under clear skies.

The super soppers are also at work, and the situation is improving steadily.

The players have begun preparing for warm-ups, raising hopes that play will get underway soon.

The match has been reduced to 25 overs per side, with each team allowed to use five bowlers for a maximum of five overs each.

The batting Powerplay will last for the first five overs of the innings.

16:48

Rain continues; 6.32 pm cut-off time

Steady drizzle continues to delay the start of the first ODI between India and Afghanistan in Dharamsala, with the entire playing area remaining under covers.

The weather has shown little sign of improvement, and the groundstaff are on standby as they wait for the rain to ease.

With 6:32 pm set as the cut-off time, the rain needs to stop within the next hour or so to give any chance of play today.

15:19

Cut-off time for a 20-over game 6.32 pm

More rain appears to be on the way, with the groundstaff preparing to cover the entire field as dark clouds continue to hang over the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium. Live visuals show steady rainfall.

Players are waiting in the dressing room, hoping for the rain to ease.

The cut-off time for a 20-over game is 6.32 pm.

The square remains under covers due to incessant rain. Weather forecasts indicate a 60-70 percent chance of showers, raising concerns about further delays and interruptions, and even a possible washout.

13:40

Rain interruptions predicted throughout day

It is raining heavily in Dharamshala, and the first ODI of the three-match series between India and Afghanistan could start late. Weather forecasts also suggest possible interruptions during the day.

The toss was scheduled at 1 pm local time but incessant rains did not allow it to take place.

India, led by Shubman Gill, are looking to continue their domination from the one-off Test, which they won by an innings and 300 runs at Mullanpur earlier this week.

India and Afghanistan have played against each other in four ODIs, with former holding a 3-0 lead as one match ended in a tie.

Stay tuned for more updates.

13:08

Rain threat looms as India begin World Cup prep

Hello and welcome to the coverage of the first ODI between India and Afghanistan at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

India will begin their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup when they take on Afghanistan in a three-match series. The series marks the first ODI contest between the two teams and gives India an opportunity to test players and combinations for the future.

However, the weather may decide the outcome of the game, with AccuWeather predicting rain for most of the day. The toss has already been delayed due to wet conditions.

One of the main focuses will be the fitness of Rohit Sharma. The veteran opener recently recovered from a hamstring problem that troubled him during the Indian Premier League and is expected to return to action. While Rohit remains one of India's most consistent performers, questions remain over whether the 39-year-old can continue until the World Cup in South Africa in 2027.

India will also closely watch all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. He is being considered as a possible back-up to Hardik Pandya, whose career has often been interrupted by injuries. Reddy impressed with both bat and ball in the IPL, but selectors want to see if he can consistently contribute as a bowling all-rounder in one-day cricket.

Virat Kohli will miss the series because of a hamstring injury, creating an opening in the batting order. Rohit and captain Shubman Gill are expected to open the innings, while Ishan Kishan and Yashasvi Jaiswal are competing for the number three position. Shreyas Iyer is set to bat at number four, with K.L. Rahul anchoring the middle order.

India have around 25 ODIs scheduled before the 2027 World Cup, giving the team management enough time to experiment. Gill, who has endured a difficult start to his ODI captaincy, will look to strengthen his leadership alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir.

The bowling attack is likely to feature Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, while one of Prince Yadav or Gurnoor Brar could make an international debut. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested to manage their workload.

Afghanistan arrive with renewed confidence following the return of star spinner Rashid Khan, who is focusing on white-ball cricket after back surgery. Veteran Mohammad Nabi also adds experience to the side. With pleasant weather and the scenic mountains of Dharamsala as a backdrop, both teams will be eager to make a strong start to the series.

Head-to-Head Record

India and Afghanistan have played four ODIs against each other. India have won three of them, while one game ended in a tie. The most recent ODI encounter between the two nations was during the ICC World Cup in October 2023, where India comfortably secured an eight-wicket victory.

Squads:

India: Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna, Shreyas Iyer, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Ishan Kishan, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav.

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Bilal Sami, Nangeyalia Kharoti, Fareed Ahmad Malik, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Darwish Rasooli, Ibrahim Zadran, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi.

1st ODI Updates: India thump Afghanistan by 7 wickets

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