NEW DELHI: Team India, captained by Shubman Gill, are set to commence their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup with a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. The series begins at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday.
India's Confidence Boost
India enter the series on a high after securing their largest Test victory ever—an innings and 300-run win over Afghanistan in the one-off Test in Mullanpur earlier this week. The team has been training hard, with players like Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal gearing up for the ODI challenge.
Why is Virat Kohli Not Playing?
Virat Kohli has been sidelined from the three-match ODI series due to a hamstring injury. This injury comes despite the former India captain's outstanding recent form in the 50-over format. After retiring from T20 Internationals in 2024 and Test cricket in 2025, Kohli has focused solely on ODIs, with impressive results.
Since the start of 2025, Kohli has scored 891 ODI runs at an average of 68.53, including four centuries and five half-centuries. He continued his form into 2026, scoring 240 runs in three matches against New Zealand. In 2025 alone, he amassed 651 runs in ODIs with three centuries and four fifties.
Fitness Concerns Ahead of England Tour
India are scheduled to play 20 ODIs before the 2027 World Cup, starting with the Afghanistan series. Kohli's fitness is a key concern for the team management, who hope he recovers in time for the crucial ODI tour of England next month. India are set to play a three-match ODI series in England from July 14 to July 19.
India vs Afghanistan ODI Series Schedule
- 1st ODI – June 13, 2026, HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala
- 2nd ODI – June 17, 2026, Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
- 3rd ODI – June 20, 2026, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Squads
India Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (w), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav
Afghanistan Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (w), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Darwish Rasooli, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi
