Rain delays toss in India-Afghanistan ODI opener at Dharamshala

Persistent rain delayed the toss for the opening ODI between India and Afghanistan at Dharamshala’s HPCA Stadium. Weather conditions continue to threaten the start of play, with the three-match series serving as an important step in India’s World Cup preparations.

Dharamshala: The toss for the opening ODI between India and Afghanistan has been delayed due to persistent rain at the HPCA Stadium, the BCCI confirmed in an update on X.

The buildup to the match has been dominated by rain, with the picturesque town witnessing rain over the past two days and again on the eve of the match. As per weather forecast website Accuweather, there is more rain in store till 4:30pm, with conditions expected to improve later in the evening.

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However, the eventual start timing of the match will depend on the drainage capacity of the venue once rain goes away. The three‑match series holds vital importance in India’s road to the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup, to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Shubman Gill-led India are without Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya, who have been ruled out due to hamstring and leg injuries respectively. Former skipper and veteran opener Rohit Sharma, however, cleared his fitness test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru and is set to open alongside Gill.

India bowling coach Morne Morkel had said in the pre-match press conference that the team management is prepared to experiment for the number three position in this series in Kohli’s absence, with KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan all in contention.

The conditions in Dharamshala have always been expected to aid fast bowlers with the new ball, this making the toss a crucial factor. With rain around and a possibility of a truncated game, it makes toss even more decisive considering the moisture pitch will have.

Three of the five ODIs played in Dharamshala during the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup were won by teams batting first. India have a 3-0 record in ODI meetings against Afghanistan, while one game – in 2018 Asia Cup – ended in a tie.