Saturday’s highly anticipated opening fixture of the first-ever bilateral one-day international cricket series between India and Afghanistan in Dharamshala faced an early setback, as persistent inclement rain forced officials to push back both the pre-match coin toss and the game’s starting time.
This three-match series marks a historic milestone for both cricketing nations, as it is the first time they have faced off in a standalone bilateral ODI arrangement. Prior to this series, the two sides only clashed in the 50-over format during top global and regional competitions: the ICC Cricket World Cup and the ACC Asia Cup. Across their four previous ODI meetings, India has claimed victory in three contests, while the fourth ended in a rare tied result.
Heading into the opening match of the new series, the two teams bring contrasting recent run of forms to the pitch. India has struggled for consistency in its most recent 50-over outings, dropping three of its last five ODI matches. In sharp contrast, Afghanistan has built strong momentum ahead of the series, securing wins in four consecutive ODI fixtures ahead of Saturday’s game. This meeting comes just one week after India dominated Afghanistan in a one-off test match, sealing a massive innings-and-300-run victory inside just three days of play.
The series is scheduled to continue after the Dharamshala opener, with the second ODI set to take place in Lucknow this coming Wednesday. The third and final match of the three-game series will be hosted in Chennai on June 20, wrapping up the historic first bilateral ODI contest between the two nations.