India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI Live Score: Rain clouds hovering over series opener

6 days ago 7

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IND vs AFG Live Cricket Score:

IND vs AFG 1st ODI Today Match Live Cricket Score Updates: India face Afghanistan in the first ODI at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala hoping to get back to winning ways in the format. However, their wait for regaining form and confidence could continue considering the inclement weather that has persisted in the picturesque Himalayan town yesterday and throughout the morning today.

Rohit Sharma’s match fitness will be tested but India’s team management would also closely monitor Nitish Kumar Reddy’s performance as a back-up for injury-prone Hardik Pandya. Having nursed a hamstring niggle during the IPL, Rohit has managed to regain full fitness just in time for the three games against Afghanistan while top draw Virat Kohli will miss the series due to a rare hamstring injury.

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As India plan for the World Cup in South Africa in October-November 2027, there are doubts over whether the 39-year-old Rohit can last till the ODI showpiece. India are scheduled to play 25 odd ODIs before the mega event, giving the team enough time to experiment with players and combinations. With two losses in three series, the start to Shubman Gill’s ODI captaincy has not been smooth and working alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir, he would be looking to expand his footprint in the dressing room.

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Rohit Sharma is 39. Thirty-nine years and 44 days old when India meet Afghanistan in the first ODI in Dharamsala.

He was also 20, in June 2007, when a quiet international debut slipped by in Belfast. He did not bat or bowl. On Saturday, the chatter when he walks out to bat could centre on longevity and greatness – he will become the oldest Indian man to feature in the one-day game. It could just as easily drift toward the question of when to stop.

Is he stretching it too far? Can he carry himself through at 40 in the ODI World Cup in South Africa late next year? Has another modest IPL showing decoupled him from Virat Kohli in the veterans’ club? READ MORE

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