The road to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia begins for India, and Afghanistan, in the shadow of the Dhauladhar ranges in Dharamsala. Fittingly, India begin their campaign on a peak, as they look to summit one two years from now. The FIFA World Cup is underway in the Americas. India’s women will launch their T20 World Cup campaign on Sunday. Shubman Gill’s men, meanwhile, away from the glare of those brighter lights, begin their quieter, longer journey to next year’s ODI World Cup.
With Virat Kohli ruled out of the series through injury, all eyes will be on Rohit Sharma — who will be 41 when the ODI World Cup is played in October-November next year.
And there is plenty riding on these three matches for Rohit. Neither he nor Kohli are automatic selections any longer; the selectors have made that much clear. Rohit arrives at this series having raced against time to recover from a hamstring injury that troubled him throughout the IPL 2026 season, restricting him to just nine games. He managed 283 runs, operating largely as an Impact Player.
Unlike Kohli, who let his bat do the talking through another victorious season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rohit has a point to prove to the selectors.
FIT-AGAIN ROHIT EYES BIG RUNS
The reassurance, at least, is that he is fit and ready. Bowling coach Morne Morkel confirmed as much on the eve of the match.
“It is always nice to have his experience back. Just the calmness he brings to the dressing room is always, always a positive. He’s training well, he’s moving well. I know he’s excited to go tomorrow,” Morkel said.
While Rohit played a key role in India’s ODI tour of Australia last year, he managed just 61 runs at an average of 20.33 in the three-match series against New Zealand earlier this year. With age not on his side, every series is now a proving ground. He will be well served by repeating the form of the 2025 season — 650 runs at an average of 50 across 14 matches.
But the focus will not rest solely on the old guard. India will also use this series to test their depth in the absence of Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. Yashasvi Jaiswal, added to the squad as cover, is the designated back-up opener, and will be one of the options India look at for the No. 3 position — along with KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan. Morkel confirmed as much, indicating the management will rotate those three through that slot across the series.
Ishan, selected as the second wicketkeeper, looks likely to keep the gloves in the series opener — if Friday’s training session was any indication — and bat at No. 3.
India also have fresh faces in the pace department. Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar have been added to the squad, and one of them could make their debut on Saturday, pairing alongside Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep SIngh, who leads the new-ball attack in Bumrah’s absence.
CAN NITISH REDDY STEP UP?
Then there is Nitish Reddy, who steps into a bigger role with Hardik Pandya ruled out through injury. Under Morkel, Nitish has had the space to refine his bowling, and this series will be a genuine test of that development — particularly his ability to contribute with the ball at the international level.
“I always encourage the guys to go out and, when they get the opportunity, work on and develop their own game. Nitish did that. From a technical standpoint, we worked to create more balance so the energy flows down the wicket — in both departments, there’s improvement. We’re excited to see him put that together on the international stage,” Morkel said.
Washington Sundar and Harsh Dubey will join Kuldeep Yadav in the spin group. The management will keep a close eye on both all-rounders as they continue assembling a probable World Cup squad.
That said, India cannot afford to take Afghanistan lightly — and they would be unwise to try. Yes, they swatted aside Richard Pybus’s side in the one-off Test last week, but Afghanistan are a considerably more dangerous proposition in white-ball cricket. With Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Allah Ghazanfar forming a formidable spin trident, and Sediqullah Atal bringing flair and enterprise to an impressive batting unit, Afghanistan will be far more than pushovers across this ODI series.
PITCH & CONDITIONS
Dharamsala is as scenic as venues get in world cricket, but the HPCA Stadium is no mere backdrop. Set at altitude, the ball travels quickly off the pitch, which typically offers decent pace and bounce. Some swing is expected with the new ball, though it is generally a batsman-friendly ground — teams chasing have won five ODIs here against four for sides batting first. The last ODI at this venue, during the 2023 World Cup, saw Australia post 388, with New Zealand falling agonisingly short by five runs — a reminder that big scores are very much on the table.
Weather, however, could be a factor. Light rain is forecast for the afternoon, with temperatures hovering around 17°C and humidity at 74 per cent. If the skies open, the pitch will offer more to the bowlers and the outfield will slow, making the toss — and the captain’s read of conditions — all the more consequential. Both sides may well prefer to bowl first.
TEAM NEWS & PREDICTED XIs
India
The selection conversation in the build-up has centred almost entirely on the No. 3 slot. Morkel confirmed India will rotate options across the series — Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal all in contention. For the series opener, Ishan Kishan appears the likeliest to get the nod at No. 3, with his attacking intent offering a different dimension to the top order. Jaiswal, more naturally suited to opening, is likely to be held in reserve, while Rahul is better served at No. 5, a position in which he has established himself with consistent performances.
One of Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar is set to make their ODI debut, pairing alongside Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh in the pace attack. Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Harsh Dubey provide the spin cover.
India predicted XI: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav.
Afghanistan
Rashid Khan joins directly in Dharamsala after his IPL campaign, while Mohammad Nabi — already with the squad — is reported to be unwell, which could hand a place to one of their younger options. Fast bowler Mohammad Saleem, who impressed in the one-off Test in New Chandigarh, has been added to the ODI squad and could come in depending on conditions — either for Bilal Sami or in place of one of the spinners.
Afghanistan predicted XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Allah Ghazanfar, Zia ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik
– Ends
