Indian team plays cricket inside dressing room amid Dharamshala rain delay

The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a light-hearted glimpse of the Indian dressing room during the rain delay in the first ODI between India and Afghanistan in Dharamshal on June 13. The match was originally scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM IST, but persistent showers disrupted the start of the match, forcing players and fans to wait as officials monitored the weather conditions at the venue continuously.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the BCCI posted a video from inside the dressing room, showing the Indian players making the most of the unexpected break while awaiting further updates on the match situation.

In a video posted by the BCCI, several Indian players were seen playing a gully-cricket-style game inside the dressing room, including captain Shubman Gill, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, and former captain Rohit Sharma. Meanwhile, coach Gautam Gambhir was seen chilling and watching the fun moment unfold inside the dressing room.

“Why should a rain delay stop the fun? A peek inside the #TeamIndia dressing room as the rain comes down in Dharamshala,” the BCCI captioned the post where the cricketers were seen enjoying some leisure time in the dressing room at the HPCA Stadium.

Why should a rain delay stop the fun? 😌🎥 👀 A peek inside the #TeamIndia dressing room as the rain comes down in Dharamshala 🌧️#INDvAFG | @IDFCFIRSTBank

After a long wait, there is something for the fans to cheer for, as the BCCI announced that the play will resume at 5:45 PM. The match will be played as a 25-over encounter, with five overs of powerplay overs for the batting sides.

Meanwhile, the Indian team handed over debut caps to two youngsters, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey, with the caps being presented by senior batter KL Rahul. Indian captain Shubman Gill won the crucial toss and elected to bowl first.

Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar handed ODI debuts in Dharamsala

India will be eager to begin the ODI series on a positive note despite the disruption. The match also presents an important opportunity for several young players to make an impression, with a number of senior stars unavailable due to injuries and workload management.