Rain Delays India-Afghanistan Start in Dharamshala Ind Vs Afg Odi
Rain delayed the toss and the start of the first ind vs afg odi in Dharamshala on Saturday, June 13, 2026. The opener was the first match in a three-match one-day international series between India and Afghanistan, and the covers were already on at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium before play could begin.
HPCA Stadium Covers Stayed On
The match was set for the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium, also called HPCA stadium, in Dharamshala. That delay hit a series opener carrying extra weight: this was the first bilateral ODI cricket series between the two teams, after they had met only at World Cups and Asia Cups in the one-day format.
India entered with three losses in its past five ODIs, while Afghanistan arrived with four ODI wins in a row. Those numbers put the opening rain delay into sharper focus because both sides came in with recent form lines that pointed in different directions.
India's Recent ODI Form
The teams also arrived from a sharp swing in formats. India had beaten Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs in a one-off test the previous week, but this series opened a different format and a different setting in Dharamshala.
India had won three of the four previous one-day matches between the sides, with one game ending in a tie. That record gave the opener some context, even before the first ball, because the matchup had been limited and heavily tilted toward major tournament meetings rather than a regular bilateral schedule.
Lucknow And Chennai Dates
The rain interruption left the first ODI waiting for a start while the rest of the series stayed lined up on the calendar. The second ODI was scheduled for Wednesday in Lucknow, and the third ODI was scheduled for June 20 in Chennai.
For fans in Dharamshala, the immediate change was simple: the toss did not go ahead on time, and the match began under covers rather than daylight. For the series as a whole, the opener now set the tone for a short three-game run that moves quickly from Himachal Pradesh to Lucknow and then to Chennai.
