India defeated Afghanistan by five wickets in the first ODI at Dharamshala on June 13, 2026, despite a record-breaking century from Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Captain Shubman Gill led the chase with an unbeaten 84, addressing concerns regarding a mid-match run-out involving Rohit Sharma that had sparked speculation about tension within the Indian dressing room.
A mid-match misunderstanding between captain Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma led to the dismissal of the veteran batter for 16 runs during the opening encounter. The incident occurred when Sharma attempted a second run, but Gill declined the call, leading to confusion on the pitch. According to ABP Majha, Afghanistan bowler Allah Ghazanfar contributed to the chaos by obstructing Gill’s path, which ultimately resulted in Sharma being run out.
Observers noted that Sharma appeared visibly frustrated and disappointed as he walked back to the pavilion. However, the tension did not persist into the dressing room. When questioned about whether the incident had caused friction, Gill dismissed the idea with a smile.
“Rohit Sharma saw the replay and said it’s fine about the run out. Last time we played a T20i against Afghanistan, he got run out there as well (smiles).”
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While India secured the victory, the match was defined by a historic performance from Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz. As Loksatta reported, Gurbaz struck the fastest century by an Afghanistan batter in ODI history.
Gurbaz’s onslaught included eight sixes and eight fours, propelling Afghanistan to a total of 194 runs. His rapid scoring set a high tempo for the match, even as rain-induced changes altered the traditional ODI structure.
Rain-shortened match forces tactical changes
Heavy rainfall in Dharamshala delayed the start of the match by four hours, forcing officials to reduce the game to 25 overs per side. This reduction transformed the contest into a high-intensity sprint, requiring both teams to adjust their standard tactical approaches.
Match Detail
Status/Score
Result
India won by 5 wickets
Format
25 overs per side
Afghanistan Total
194 runs
India Top Scorer
Shubman Gill (84*)
Balls remaining for India
15 balls
The toss went in India’s favor, and Gill elected to bowl first, citing cloudy conditions that might assist the seamers. TV9 Marathi noted that the shortened format also limited the batting powerplay to just 5 overs.
India tests new talent ahead of World Cup
With the World Cup approaching, the Indian management used this series to experiment with squad combinations. Gill indicated that the team aims to play approximately 15 to 20 ODIs before the major tournament to refine their strategy.
The match saw the international debuts of two players:
Harsh Dubey, who was handed his cap by KL Rahul.
Gurnoor Brar, who was welcomed into the side by captain Shubman Gill.
To facilitate these debuts, several established players were omitted from the starting eleven, including Jaiswal, Priyam, and Kuldeep. Gill emphasized that the priority remains testing different combinations to see what works best under various match conditions.
