India are without all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the opening ODI against Afghanistan at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. The star cricketer suffered a leg strain during training earlier this week.
He was named in India’s ODI squad for the three-match series, subject to receiving fitness clearance. However, the injury setback occurred while he was training at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, casting doubt over his availability before the series began.
Although the BCCI did not initially specify the nature of the injury, board secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that Pandya was undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence. Reports later indicated that the all-rounder had sustained a leg strain, making him unavailable for the start of the Afghanistan series.
The injury comes after another stop-start period for Pandya. During IPL 2026, he featured in only 10 of Mumbai Indians’ 14 league matches because of back spasms. He eventually returned for the franchise’s final game of the season on May 24 after missing multiple fixtures.
India’s team management has been particularly cautious with Pandya’s workload given his importance to the side’s long-term ODI plans. Hence, he wasnโt rushed for the Afghanistan series. As things stand, the 31-year-old remains a key figure in India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, scheduled to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Nitish Kumar Reddy replaces Pandya
Nitish Kumar Reddy has been announced in the playing XI, replacing Pandya. He has been slotted at number seven. Notably, the 23-year-old has played four ODI matches in his career, scoring 100 runs. He is yet to pick up a wicket in the format.
India to bowl first
India have won the toss and elected to bowl first in Dharamsala. Captain Shubman Gill explained the overcast conditions behind his decision.
โWe will bowl first. It’s a bit overcast, so the bowlers might get some help. Looks like a good surface, good wicket to bat on, could be something early on for the pacers,โ Gill said.ย
Afghanistan (Playing XI): Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 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 (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
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