🏏India vs Afghanistan, 1st ODI, AFG tour of India 2026, Dharamsala🏏 - Page 2

Focus on newcomers

India will have three new options available in their playing 11 selection for the Afghanistan ODIs, with pacers Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar, along with spinner Harsh Dubey, earning their maiden national call-up.

Either Prince or Gurnoor will have the chance to make their debut against Afghanistan, especially with frontline bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj being rested for the three-match series.

If the team management decides to go with only one of the above-mentioned two names, Prince is likely to get the upper hand, given his 16-wicket haul in IPL 2026.

Harsh Dubey can also make his debut if India decide to go with three spinners in the match. Dubey’s inclusion will also help deepen the batting line-up as the southpaw has proven his capability to score runs lower down the order during the recently concluded IPL 2026.

Afghanistan eyeing turnaround with key players back in the fold

Afghanistan will look to put their recent Test defeat behind them when they take on India in the opening ODI. The visitors are expected to be far more competitive in the white-ball format and have been strengthened by the return of key players.

Rashid Khan is back in the squad after stepping away from red-ball cricket following back surgery, while veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi adds experience and balance to the side.

Afghanistan can also draw confidence from their impressive 2023 ODI World Cup campaign in India, where they narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot.

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Noor Ahmed is not there

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Hello and welcome to the 1st ODI between India and Afghanistan. The Afghans were outplayed in the Test match, but they are a much stronger white-ball side and are capable of posing a serious challenge to the Indian line-up. With the ODI World Cup next year on the horizon, both teams will be keen to fine-tune their combinations and assess their squad depth. Afghanistan will be boosted by the return of Rashid Khan, who missed the Test series. India, meanwhile, will be looking to regain confidence after losing three of their last five home ODIs, including a series defeat to New Zealand. They will be without the experienced Virat Kohli, providing an opportunity for younger players to step up. Rookie pacers Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, who earned a late call-up, are expected to feature in the playing XI. Afghanistan arrive in good spirits, having won their last four ODIs. They will be eager to make a statement against one of the tournament favourites. Don't forget, they reached the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India and have continued to grow as a force in white-ball cricket. Watch out for an exciting contest as we bring you the toss and team news shortly.

For the better part of the last two years, India's cricketing world has revolved around T20Is. Selections, workload management and medium-term planning were all viewed through the lens of a T20 World Cup that culminated successfully only recently. With the next World Cup to be played in the ODI format, and now just over a year away, this should be the point where attention begins to turn towards 50-over cricket.

Instead, India's first ODI assignment since that T20 World Cup comes with several caveats. Injuries and workload management, perhaps an inevitable consequence of the amount of all-format cricket India play, have left them with a pace attack that may only faintly resemble the one they'll hope to field in South Africa next year.

However, those caveats have also opened the door for uncapped seamers Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav, who are expected to get opportunities during the three-match series. Virat Kohli's injury absence leaves India with a decision to make at No. 3, a position bowling coach Morne Morkel indicated they could "play around with", further suggesting it could be filled by "Ishan or KL or Yashasvi".

Standing in front of them are Afghanistan, a side that's won five of their six ODI series in this World Cup cycle, including a victory over South Africa in the UAE. This three-match series against India, then, is an opportunity to measure themselves against one of the world's best sides in conditions that will be much more batting-friendly than the slow-low pitches in the UAE.

Both teams will also recognise the significance of the venue. The bounce, carry and pace on offer in Dharamsala are perhaps as close as it gets in the subcontinent to the conditions they are likely to encounter in South Africa next year. Which makes this first ODI a useful checkpoint in both teams' World Cup preparations.

What to expect: There has been plenty of rain in the lead-up to the game, with more forecast on match day. That should help the fast bowlers, particularly with the new ball, and make the toss an interesting call. While chasing has generally been the preferred option in white-ball cricket, the five ODIs played here during the 2023 World Cup saw three won by the team batting first.

Team news

India

While Hardik Pandya is ruled out of the series, the focus will be on how Nitish Reddy steps up to fill in. Rohit Sharma meanwhile is all set to feature after getting a go-ahead from the CoE. India are likely to hand a debut cap to one from Brar and Prince.

Probable XI: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar/Prince Yadav