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Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar make India debut: The India National Cricket Team is set to host the Afghanistan National Cricket Team for the first ODI of the three-match ODI series at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala. After a long break of nearly four hours due to rain and a wet outfield, the match is set to start at 5:45 PM with the toss happening at 5:15 PM.
Ahead of the toss, India announced two debutants for the first game, with Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar making their ODI debut. The two cricketers have been excellent in their respective formats and have earned their caps ahead of the match. The game is set to be played for 25 overs each. Dubey's cap was given by KL Rahul, Brar by Shubman Gill.
Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey makes debut for India
As Gurnoor Brar, the young fast bowler from Punjab who has shown promise over the last year and a half, playing domestic and India A cricket, the selectors are keen to see his development with an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup. Gurnoor Brar at 26, stands six feet five inches tall. He can also smash the deck hard, swing, and seam the ball quickly.
Harsh Dubey, on the other hand, has bowled really well in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH); he, alongside Gurnoor Brar, was present in the Test team as well. Harsh's ability to bat lower down the order will give balance to the Indian side in this game.
India wins the toss and bowls first
The weather has cleared, and the sun has been out very nicely, and the forecast is good for the rest of the evening with no rain in place. Shubman Gill has won the toss and elected to bowl first on a wicket that has been undercover for most of the time today, as well as yesterday as well.
India are without Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya; however, Rohit Sharma is fully fit and becomes the oldest India cricketer, surpassing the 36-year record of Mohinder Amarnath to play in an ODI game today.
It's all about trying different combinations- Shubman Gill
During the toss, Shubman Gill said that the Men in Blue side will try to use various combinations during this ODI series, which will provide them a blueprint for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Shubman said, "We're going to bowl first. It's a little overcast, so I think it will help the bowlers. There could also be some rain around the corner, so we want to bowl first. As for the surface, it looks very good. I think it's going to be a good wicket to bat on.
"In the initial overs, there might be some seam movement, but after the breeze dies down, I think it's going to be a really good wicket. Honestly, for this series, it's all about trying different combinations and seeing what really works for us."
"We don't play that many ODIs anymore - leading up to the World Cup, we are only playing around 15 to 20 ODIs - so it's all about trying different combinations and seeing what our strengths are."
