IND vs AFG Dharamshala Weather Updates: Shubman Gill Elects to Bowl; Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar To Debut

IND vs AFG Playing 11

Afghanistan (Playing XI): Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Saleem Safi, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi

India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan(w), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna

IND vs AFG Live Updates from Dharamshala

Afghanistan Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, said, "If we had won the toss, we also wanted to bowl first, but again, toss is not in our hands and we need to start well right from the start of the game. We did very well in recent past, but at the same time, it's our first time we are playing India in their own condition. So it's been a tough battle for both the sides and we are excited and ready for that challenge and hopefully we do well here. We have three seamers and three spinners combination. So two seamers, one all-rounder and three spinners."

Shubman Gill: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. Now that it's a 25-overs-a-side game, it is definitely a completely different ball game. But our team is unchanged. We are going with two debutants: Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey will make their debuts today. Jaiswal, Prince and Kuldeep miss out.

IND vs AFG 1st ODI Live Updates

Toss Update: India skipper Shubman Gill has won the toss in Dharamshala and elected bowl first. India have also handed debut caps to Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar.

IND vs AFG Dharamshala LIVE

It is still drizzling out there in Dharamshala! But the fans are having fun to the desi beat of the DJ! They are dancing and waiting for an update.

IND vs AFG Dharamshala LIVE Rain Updates

The rain continues. We are around three hours away from 6:32 PM IST, which will be the cutoff time for a 20-over game.

India vs Afghanistan Live Weather Updates

Well, the latest update is that the rain has become stronger in Dharamshala. The ground has been covered with more protective covers. The weather forecast predicts more rain for next hour or so.

IND vs AFG 1st ODI Live Updates

Rohit Sharma is on the brink of history as if the match starts, he will become the oldest Indian to feature in an ODI match at the age of 39 years 44 days, thus ending a 37-year-old record held by Mohinder Amarnath.

IND vs AFG Live Rain Updates

The rain continues. Not much to say as it is pretty heavy as well.

India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI Live Rain Updates

The Toss is delayed due to rain! Can't it be done indoor? It seems a baffling thing that we are taking time to conduct the toss on the field amid rain conditions. With the modern broadcasting vastness, the toss can easily be aired inside a designated part of the stadium, which is not affected by rain. Just a thought.

IND vs AFG 1st ODI Live Weather Updates

The HPCA stadium in Dharamshala does have a decent drainage and drying system, which means the delay will be short. But the sky is dark and cloudy, and rain continues. If this continues, we shall start losing overs.

At the moment, all we can do is wait for the rain to stop. The ground staff are bringing more covers to cover other parts of the stadium.

IND vs AFG 1st ODI, Dharamshala LIVE Weather Updates

Additional covers have been added in the bowler's running area. It continues to rain. The cover, however, is by no means enough as the outfield continues to remain uncovered. It means there will be damp patches even after the rain stops, further delaying the proceedings.

IND vs AFG Dharamshala Live Weather Update

The rain is relentless at the moment in Dharamshala. The sky is grey as the Dhauladhar mountain range is covered in black cloud. The Indian players are in the dressing room chatting among themselves. Things are not looking much encouraging right now.

IND vs AFG Live Rain Updates

The rain continues and the toss is further delayed in Dharamshala.

India vs Afghanistan Dharamshala Live Weather Updates

It continues to drizzle and the main pitch remains under cover. Interestingly, the entire ground is not covered and that means there will be wet patches in the outfield, thus indicating further delay even after the rain stops.

Dharamshala LIVE Weather Updates

People have taken cover under raincoats as rain starts in Dharamshala. The fans have come in numbers, but the match shall only start when the rain gods decide to stop.

IND vs AFG Live Weather Updates

Dharamshala was braced for rain today, and the rain has been continuous. Although it stopped for a brief period, the rain is back again. The toss is delayed at the HPCA stadium. There is around 70 to 80 per cent chance fo precipitation for the next 3-4 hours, which means we are surely set for a delayed start.

IND vs AFG Live Weather Updates

The toss is delayed due to rain.

India vs Afghanistan Live Weather Updates

The ground is under cover but no rain at the moment. The toss is set to take place at 1 PM IST.

IND vs AFG 1st ODI Live Updates - The Preview

Shubman Gill-led India will be playing their first ODI match in a while and Rohit Sharma is expected to be a part of the team. Both Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya are left out due to injuries as Shreyas Iyer has been appointed as the deputy. Young bowlers Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav included in the squad as opportunity rings for international debut.

Afghanistan had a poor outing in the one-off Test, but they are a dangerous team in limited overs format. With the likes of Rashid Khan back and Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi also fit for action, the Afghans will be dreaming of toppling this Indian side.

India Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav

Afghanistan Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil(w), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Darwish Rasooli, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi

IND vs AFG Dharamshala Live Weather Updates

As per Accuweather, the rain percentage is around 70-80 per cent for the next three hours, which indicates that we might have a delayed start to the match.

India vs Afghanistan Dharamshala Live Weather Updates

The rain prediction rose from 90% to 96% this morning, and its been raining in Dharamshala. The ground remains under cover for now.

India vs Afghanistan Dharamshala Live Weather Updates

Hello and Welcome to the Live Weather coverage for the 1st ODI between India and Afghanistan, slated to be played at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. A massive rain alert in this Himachal Pradesh town today and the weather gods have lived up to the predictions.