A fresh round of cricket excitement is upon us, with India and Afghanistan squaring off in a three-match ODI series. The opening fixture takes place today, 13 June. Fans who tuned in for the sides' recent one-off Test at Mullanpur should note one important change: that match got underway at 9:30 am, but this ODI keeps to a different clock. Instead of an early morning start, the action shifts to the afternoon session. Here is everything you need to know before the first ball, from the toss to the live broadcast.
Venue and Start Time
The first ODI of the series will be staged at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala. The coin goes up at exactly 1:00 pm, and half an hour later — at 1:30 pm — the opening delivery will mark the official start of play.
The Head-to-Head Picture
The ODI history between these two nations has been decidedly one-sided. They have crossed paths a total of 4 times in this format, and India have firmly held the upper hand throughout. Remarkably, Afghanistan are yet to record a single ODI win over India. Team India have come out on top in three of those meetings, while one ended without a result. Their most recent encounter came on 11 October 2023 during the ODI World Cup, where India prevailed. Now, after a gap of roughly 3 years, the two teams renew this rivalry in the 50-over game.
How to Watch on TV and Mobile
For viewers at home, the match will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network. Those watching on the move or on their phones can catch the live stream through the JioHotstar app and website.
India's Likely Squad
Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey.
Afghanistan's Likely Squad
Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Allah Ghazanfar, Zia ur Rehman Sharifi, Farid Malik and Bilal Sami.
