India vs Afghanistan

The Afghanistan tour of India 2026 has already produced a dominant performance from the hosts and promises more exciting cricket as the teams prepare to face each other in a three-match ODI series. The tour consists of a one-off Test match followed by three One-Day Internationals, providing both sides with valuable experience across formats.

India made a strong statement in the only Test of the series, played in New Chandigarh from June 6 to June 8. The hosts piled up a massive 564 for 8 declared before completely overwhelming Afghanistan with both bat and ball. Afghanistan were bowled out for 152 in their first innings and managed only 112 in the second after being asked to follow on. India eventually secured a crushing victory by an innings and 300 runs, underlining the gulf between the two teams in red-ball cricket.

Following the Test, attention has shifted to the ODI leg of the tour. The first ODI in Dharamsala faced a delayed start due to a wet outfield, while the remaining matches are scheduled to be played in Lucknow and Chennai. The series offers Afghanistan an opportunity to regroup and challenge India in a format where they have enjoyed greater success against top-ranked opposition over the years.

India are being led by Shubman Gill, with Shreyas Iyer serving as vice-captain. The squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents as the team continues building towards future ICC tournaments. Senior stars Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul add experience to the batting unit, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan provide attacking options at the top of the order.

The all-round department features promising players such as Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey and Washington Sundar. India's bowling attack also carries significant variety, with Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar handling pace duties, while Kuldeep Yadav brings his proven wicket-taking ability in the spin department.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, continue to be led by Hashmatullah Shahidi and possess several players capable of changing games on their day. The batting lineup includes Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah and Darwish Rasooli, while veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi provides valuable experience.

Much of Afghanistan's hopes will rest on star leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who remains one of the most dangerous white-ball bowlers in world cricket. Alongside Azmatullah Omarzai and young spinner AM Ghazanfar, Afghanistan have enough quality to challenge any opposition in limited-overs cricket.

As the ODI series unfolds, both teams will be eager to build momentum and fine-tune their combinations. Fans can follow complete coverage of India vs Afghanistan 2026, including match previews, playing XIs, live scores, results, records, statistics and post-match analysis throughout the tour.