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The India National Cricket Team left one and all stunned as Ishan Kishan was given the wicketkeeping role in the three-match ODI series opener against Afghanistan in Dharamshala on Saturday (June 13). The move has raised fresh questions about KL Rahul's role in the ODI team.
After a long delay because of the persistent showers in Dharamshala, both captains, Shubman Gill of India and Hashmatullah Shahidi of Afghanistan, came for the toss. Gill won the toss and opted to bowl because of the surface and weather conditions, with the first ODI being a 25-overs-a-side game.
Ishan Kishan takes the gloves as questions rise over KL Rahul
Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey have handed the debut caps, while Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prince Yadav, and Kuldeep Yadav missed out on selection in the first ODI match against Afghanistan in Dharamshala. However, Ishan Kishan has already earned Indian think tank's trust.
But for everyone’s surprise, one of the unsung heroes of Indian cricket KL Rahul was stripped off from wicketkeeping duty for Ishan Kishan. Rahul has been India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batter for a long time in ODI cricket, but he was pushed to number three as Virat Kohli missed the series with a hamstring issue.
With Ishan Kishan wearing the gloves, the left-handed batter now has a great chance to prove himself both as a wicketkeeper and batter and make his case even stronger in India’s ODI setup. As India starts preparing for the ICC World Cup 2026, every match and every opportunity count.
Shubman Gill reveals India's big plan for Afghanistan ODIs
Shubman Gill said at the toss about his decision to bowl first in Dharamshala, “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.” The Indian captain was also hopeful that the Dharamshala surface will be a sporting wicket.
Gill further said, “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.”
The Indian captain also noted that the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan is mainly about testing different team combinations and players to find out which players fit best in different roles and what combination works best for the team as they prepare for the ICC World Cup 2027.
Gill signed off by saying, “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.”
Playing XIs for IND vs AFG 1st ODI -
India’s Playing XI: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
Afghanistan’s Playing XI: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Saleem Safi, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi
