India’s mission 2027 begins, 1st ODI against Afghanistan today:Rohit Sharma’s fitness in focus, rain threat in Dharamshala

Team India will formally kick off the preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup with its first-ever one-day series against Afghanistan, starting today. There are several questions and unresolved doubts that the Indian team will look to resolve in the 50-over format, whether it be Rohit Sharma’s fitness concerns or finding a long-term successor to Hardik Pandya. While Rohit Sharma recovered in time from the niggle in his hamstring during IPL for the 3-match ODI series against the Afghans, Virat Kohli failed to achieve the same. He has been ruled out of this series and is officially replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Now it’ll be worth watching how Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir manage the upper order with available options like Gill, Jaiswal, and Ishan Kishan. The Indian captain will also eye improving his ODI leadership credentials, suffering from two series defeats from the last three. Meanwhile, depending upon the requirements, the management will experiment with all-rounders Harsh Dubey, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. IND vs AFG 1st ODI match details India vs Afghanistan head-to-head record India and Afghanistan have not played each other in any bilateral ODI series till date. However, when it comes to 50-over ICC events and Asia Cups, the Men in Blue have won 3 out of 4 games, while one game was tied. So, the Afghans are yet to register a win over India in the ODI format. Rohit Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav top performers for India Rohit Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav have been the top performers for Men in Blue in the ODI format since 2025. Despite the age factor not in the former India captain’s favour, the 39-year-old has been surprising with his form, leading the run chart with over 700 runs, boosting his candidature for a spot in the 2027 ODI World Cup squad. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav has been lethal with the ball, scalping 22 wickets in 14 matches, bowling at an economy of 5.67. He is not much utilised in T20 or Test for India, but might be tested in the 50-over format. Afghanistan pin hopes on Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai Since Afghanistan don’t play that many ODIs apart from the multi-team ICC tournaments, Ibrahim Zadran was their best batter in 2025, scoring 429 runs in 6 games. Meanwhile, one of the best all-rounders in the world, Azmatullah Omarzai, has been their best hope with the ball, taking 14 wickets in 6 matches in 2025. Rohit Sharma vs Rashid Khan: Will Afghan spinner get ex-India captain again? Rashid Khan has once dismissed Rohit Sharma in the one-day format, testing the Indian opener’s mettle against spin. It’ll be worth watching if Rohit survives in the match till the spin gets introduced and battles against Rashid in the 1st ODI. Rahmat Shah vs Kuldeep Yadav: Can the spinner get the big name? Kuldeep Yadav is one of India’s top wicket-takers in the one-day format, but he is yet to dismiss veteran Afghan batter Rahmat Shah. If Kuldeep Yadav gets him in the first ODI, it’ll open the way for the hosts to build pressure in the middle overs. HPCA Stadium pitch report Moving on from the scorching heat in Mullanpur, players will now take the field under cooler conditions in Dharamsala, with the snow-capped mountains forming a breathtaking backdrop. Dharamshala is a venue where the boundaries are short, but there’s assistance for pacers as well. The outfield is very quick, and there have been plenty of high-scoring contests at this venue. The last ODI that was played here saw 771 runs being scored during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Dharamshala weather report The temperature is expected to hover between 33 and 21 degrees Celsius. However, with a 55% chance of precipitation, the weather forecast predicts a thunderstorm on Saturday.