Team India will formally begin their 2027 World Cup preparations when they take on Afghanistan in the first-ever ODI series between the two nations starting Saturday. The first of the three ODIs will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala from 1:30 p.m. onwards. Rohit Sharma's match fitness will be tested but India's team management would also closely monitor Nitish Kumar Reddy's performance as a back-up for injury-prone Hardik Pandya.
Pandya was cleared to play in the ODI series on Wednesday but was ruled out after picking up a fresh quadriceps strain, PTI reported. Pandya was at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to get clearance for his back spasm injury which he sustained in the IPL while playing for the Mumbai Indians. The news agency reported that Pandya's new injury could be a result of him bowling the full quota of 10 overs at the CoE during the assessment.
Having nursed a hamstring niggle during the IPL, Rohit has managed to regain full fitness just in time for the three games against Afghanistan while top draw Virat Kohli will miss the series due to a rare hamstring injury.
India are scheduled to play 25 odd ODIs before the mega event, giving the team enough time to experiment with players and combinations. With two losses in three series, the start to Shubman Gill's ODI captaincy has not been smooth and working alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir, he would be looking to expand his footprint in the dressing room.
Afghanistan's Strong White-Ball Team To Test India
Afghanistan, who were outplayed in India in the one-off Test, are a far better white-ball side. They would be bolstered by the return of Rashid Khan, who has shelved red-ball cricket for the time being following a back surgery.
Veteran Mohammed Nabi will also lend balance to the side led by Hashmatullah Shahidi. Afghanistan would take heart from their ODI World Cup performance in India back in 2023 when they nearly made the semi-finals. Pacer Mohammad Saleem, who took a six-wicket haul in the Test in Chandigarh, has been duly added to the ODI squad.
Players who played in the brutal heat of Mullanpur would be more than happy to take the field in the cooler climes of Dharamsala with the snow-capped mountains forming a breathtaking backdrop.
India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI 2026 Live Telecast
The India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network.
India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI 2026 Live Streaming
The India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.
India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI 2026: Squads
India: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.
Note: Pandya has not been offically ruled out of the series yet.
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.
(With PTI inputs)
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