IND vs AFG 2026: 1st ODI Match Preview

The fever of 50-over cricket is back to the country, as India (IND) and Afghanistan (AFG) will be locking horns on Saturday, June 13, for the first ODI between the two Asian powerhouses at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala.

India are expected to hand out at least a couple of debuts, with Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, and Prince Yadav poised to receive their debut caps at some point in the series if not in Dharamsala. The hosts are without an experienced bowling line-up, and in batting they are also missing the services of Virat Kohli, whereas star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has also been ruled out. Therefore, a relatively inexperienced line-up will be thoroughly tested for the Shubman Gill-led side.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, have emerged as a formidable side in the one-day format of late. Their records, especially with the bat, are daunting to note. The Afghans will also be looking to register their first victory in ODIs against the Men in Blue, as the record currently stands at 0-3. With a recharged mindset and a confident approach, Hashmatullah Shahidi will be leading his pack of troops with an aim to take a lead.

The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala has been host to nine One-Day Internationals thus far, and a majority of these have gone in favour of the teams batting second. While the overall record indicates that chasing is easier here, the most recent matches played here tell a completely different story. The pitch is expected to be host to a high-scoring encounter of sorts, and a flurry of boundaries will be on the cards on Saturday at the picturesque venue.

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Saleem, AM Ghazanfar, Ziaur Rahman