Preview by AkshayaKrishna Polya
Whenever India plays an ODI, the build-up around it is so huge these days because of RO-KO! Something similar was expected when this three-match ODI series against Afghanistan was scheduled. This will be the first-ever ODI series between the two teams. The series opener will take place at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday (June 13).
However, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had injury concerns during the Indian Premier League. Rohit, however, is fit and ready to go, while Kohli has been ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury he picked up in the IPL Final on May 31.
In addition to Kohli, the Men in Blue will also miss the services of Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj. Pandya struggled in the cash-rich league before suffering a leg strain while training at BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Bumrah also had tough times in the IPL and has been rested, along with Jadeja and Siraj. Harshit Rana, who missed the IPL recently due to a knee injury, hasn't been named in the squad.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been named as Kohli's replacement, while the team management is yet to name Hardik's replacement.
The Shubman Gill-led side is fresh off an innings and 300-run win over Afghanistan in a one-off Test in New Chandigarh a few days ago. India will bank on the experience of Rohit, skipper Gill, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer and wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul in the batting department, while the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna will lead the bowling setup. Arshdeep didn't have the best of the IPLs, but his left-arm seam will be key for the hosts. Washington Sundar continues to remain as a vital all-rounder in the squad.
In the absence of several mainstays, the likes of dynamic southpaw Ishan Kishan & all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will look to cement their places. This is a perfect opportunity for the two in-form players to execute their skills and step up in the absence of the big guns.
Left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey, Delhi seamer Prince Yadav, who had an impressive IPL season with Lucknow Super Giants, and Punjab's speedster Gurnoor Brar have received their maiden call-up in the 50-over format for India.
On the other hand, the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led unit will be more confident with the white-ball setup than its red-ball cricket. Spin wizard Rashid Khan and star opener Ibrahim Zadran, who were rested from the one-off Test, are back in the side for the ODIs. Rashid kept himself away from the Test to manage his workload, while Zadran was recovering from a leg injury.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Sediqullah Atal and Darwish Rasooli will have a key role to play with the bat alongside skipper Shahidi and Zadran. All-rounders Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi have been the pillars of this outfit for many years. Nabi was reportedly unwell ahead of the first ODI, and his availability remains doubtful, while Rasooli is also unavailable for the series opener due to personal reasons. Ikram Alikhil will be the backup gloveman.
Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman aren't part of this tour. AM Ghazanfar, who had a good IPL season with Mumbai Indians, is hopeful of supporting Rashid in the spin department. Left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote is also in the squad, but he had difficult times in the red-ball game.
Afghanistan made a late addition to their squad by drafting the right-arm fast-bowler Mohammad Saleem Safi, who picked up a six-fer in the one-off Test recently, to their pace-bowling unit that has the likes of Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Malik, and Bilal Sami.
India will look to test their bench strength and build their stocks with the 2027 ODI World Cup in sight, while Afghanistan will aim to stun the hosts in their own backyard. Can the tourists be able to climb the new heights in the foothills of the Himalayas? To find out, join us at 12:30 PM IST, Local Time, on Saturday for its live coverage!