India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI: Rain delays toss in Dharamshala as weather threatens opener

The toss for the opening ODI between India and Afghanistan at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala has been delayed due to persistent rain, with the BCCI confirming the development in an update on X.

Rain has dominated the build-up to the series opener, with showers lashing the hill town over the past two days and continuing on the eve of the match. According to weather forecasts, rain is expected to persist until around 4:30 pm, although conditions could improve later in the evening.

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Even if the rain stops, the eventual start time will depend on how quickly the outfield and pitch can be made ready, making the venue’s drainage system a key factor.

Important Series in India’s 2027 World Cup Preparations

The three-match ODI series forms an important part of India’s preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, which will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

Shubman Gill will lead the Indian side in the absence of Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya, who have been ruled out with hamstring and leg injuries, respectively.

There is, however, good news for the hosts as former captain Rohit Sharma has cleared his fitness test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and is expected to open the batting alongside Gill.

Ahead of the match, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel revealed that the team management is prepared to experiment with the crucial No. 3 batting position in Kohli’s absence.

KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ishan Kishan are all in contention for the role during the series.

Rain could make Toss even more crucial

The conditions in Dharamshala traditionally assist fast bowlers with the new ball, making the toss an important factor. With moisture expected to remain in the surface due to rain and the possibility of a shortened contest, the team winning the toss could gain a significant advantage.

Interestingly, three of the five ODIs played at the venue during the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup were won by teams batting first.

India also hold a dominant record against Afghanistan in the format, winning three of their four ODI meetings, while the remaining match, played in the 2018 Asia Cup, ended in a thrilling tie.

Squads

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

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Abdul Rasool, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Saleem, Bilal Sami, Nangeyalia Kharote, Rashid Khan, Qais Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Ziaur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad.