India are set to face Afghanistan in a high-stakes Match 1 of the three-match ODI series on June 13, 2026. After a highly dominant performance within the recently concluded one-off Test match at Mullanpur—where the hosts registered an excellent victory by an innings and 300 runs—India enters the limited-overs leg with immense confidence.
Under the tactical guidance of their leadership group and the captaincy of Shubman Gill, the hosts need to turn the breathtaking Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala right into a fortress. Meanwhile, Afghanistan team, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, arrived within the hills hoping for a fresh start after a tricky Test outing.
Afghanistan has shown incredible grit in shorter formats historically and shall be determined to make their presence felt on this budding subcontinental rivalry. With strong spin attacks and powerful batting line-ups on either side, the match guarantees an exciting battle at certainly one of India’s most scenic cricket venues.
Match Details & Live Streaming
- Venue: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala, India
- Date & Time: Saturday, June 13, 2026, 01:30 PM (IST)
- Live Broadcasting & Streaming: Sports18 Network Channels, JioCinema App & Website
IND vs AFG: Head-to-Head Record
- Matches Played: 4
- Won by India: 3
- Won by Afghanistan: 0
- Tied/No Result: 1
Pitch Report
The pitch on the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala is traditionally generally known as certainly one of the higher balanced surfaces in India, offering a real contest between bat and ball. The high altitude and funky atmosphere often assist pace bowlers, providing notable swing and seam movement under cloudy skies in the course of the initial phase of play.
As the sport progresses, the surface tends to cool down nicely, allowing top-order batsmen to attain freely because of the true bounce and lightning-fast outfield. Spinners generally come into operation in the course of the middle overs, although the relatively short boundary dimensions make precise execution of lengths highly imperative.
The typical first-innings rating at this venue ranges between 240–260. Given the afternoon start, the team winning the toss is extremely prone to go for bowling first to take advantage of the early moisture and avoid chasing under potentially dewy evening conditions.
Team Evaluation
India:
India fields an exceptionally balanced squad for this limited-overs series. Their batting department is headlined by the veteran presence of normal captain Rohit Sharma together with the clinical opening stability of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The center order looks robust with Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul providing the central anchor, while Hardik Pandya offers explosive ending depth within the death overs.
On the bowling front, Arshdeep Singh leads the pace unit together with his reliable left-arm variations. The first strength of the host bowling department lies in its high-quality spin tandem, spearheaded by the left-arm wrist-spin of Kuldeep Yadav and the all-round precision of Washington Sundar. Bowling depth stays India’s biggest asset on home soil.
Afghanistan:
Afghanistan looks like a dangerous and motivated unit in white-ball cricket under captain Hashmatullah Shahidi. Their top-order batting relies heavily on the explosive opening capabilities of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, who’re fully able to establishing strong foundations. Rahmat Shah provides anchor stability in the center order, while veteran Mohammad Nabi adds immense experience.
Their bowling attack stays their biggest tactical weapon, led by the wizardry of premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan and the regular emergence of young left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote. Backed by the reliable medium-pace variations of Azmatullah Omarzai, Afghanistan’s primary objective shall be to use pressure in the center overs to contain India’s aggressive batting line-up.
Match Prediction
While Afghanistan possesses high-quality match-winners able to exploiting spin-friendly phases, India holds a definite advantage playing in home conditions. The hosts feature a more settled pace attack able to exploiting any early assistance within the Dharamshala surface, complemented by a deep and formidable batting order.
If the Afghan new-ball bowlers fail to seek out early breakthroughs against the Indian openers, the visitors might find it tough to limit India’s heavy scoring potential. Historical data, squad depth, and up to date home momentum indicate a powerful upper hand for the house side.
Prediction: India prone to win
IND vs AFG: Predicted Playing XI
India (IND):
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.
Afghanistan (AFG):
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, Fareed Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem.
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