India’s road to the 2027 ODI World Cup begins this Saturday at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala. The Men in Blue face Afghanistan in the opening match of a three-game series, marking the official start of their long-term tournament preparations. A major talking point is the return of Rohit Sharma. After recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the IPL, the 39-year-old captain is back in action. However, his ability to remain match-fit across the estimated 25 ODIs leading up to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa remains a key question mark.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli misses out on this series as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury from the IPL 2026. In his absence, and with the injury-prone Hardik Pandya also sidelined, the team management will keep a close eye on all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as a potential long-term backup option.
Expected Lineups and Selection Debates
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are set to lead the batting order as openers. With Kohli’s regular number three position vacant, the team management faces an interesting selection dilemma between a returning Ishan Kishan and the highly in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“I think that’s something that in this series we’ll play around with, (whether) it’s Ishan (Kishan) or KL (Rahul) or Yashasvi (Jaiswal). We have got a couple of one‑day games coming up, and we’ll give guys an opportunity in different slots to give ourselves a better idea of how we can structure teams and have different options,” said Morkel in pre match press conference
Dharamshala Hourly Weather Forecast (Saturday)
While afternoon showers threaten to delay the start, meteorologists indicate that weather conditions will improve significantly as the evening progresses.
The local meteorological department previously issued an orange alert for June 12 due to threats of thunderstorms, hail, and high-velocity winds. A subsequent yellow alert is active from June 13 to 16, warning of isolated rain and lightning. Dharamshala already experienced heavy winds and brief downpours on Thursday afternoon.
According to AccuWeather forecasts, there is a substantial 90% chance of precipitation overall on Saturday, with the risk intensifying after 2:00 PM. This suggests a high probability of a rain-affected game with reduced overs, though a complete 50-over match is still possible if the showers remain brief and intermittent.
Hourly Temperature and Rainfall Probability
Time Temperature Chance of Rain
1:00 PM 21°C 49%
2:00 PM 20°C 70%
3:00 PM 19°C 67%
4:00 PM 21°C 40%
5:00 PM 22°C 34%
6:00 PM 23°C 22%
7:00 PM 22°C 0%
8:00 PM 21°C 0%
9:00 PM 21°C 0%
10:00 PM 20°C 0%
11:00 PM 20°C 0%
Match Interruption Guidelines: What Happens If It Rains?
If wet weather disrupts play at the HPCA Stadium, the match officials will attempt to alter the schedule or reduce the number of overs.
Shortened Match: The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) system will be implemented to adjust targets for the chasing team if overs are lost.
Washout Policy: Because there are no designated reserve days for this bilateral fixture, the match will be abandoned entirely if play is impossible.
Match Broadcast and Timing
Venue: HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh
Start Time: 1:30 PM IST on Saturday, June 12, 2026
Where to Watch in India
Television: Live broadcast across the Star Sports Network channels.
Digital Streaming: Available live on the JioHotstar app and website.
Official Team Squads
India
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, Harsh Dubey.
Afghanistan
Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (Wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharotai, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Malik, Bilal Sami.
