rain delay – Rain pushed back the toss and start of the first India–Afghanistan ODI in Dharamsala, with the series’ opening match still caught in wet conditions before a three-game run continues in Lucknow and Chennai.
In Dharamsala, the rain didn’t just fall—it kept the match waiting.
For the first India–Afghanistan one-day international on Saturday, weather delayed the toss and the start of the game. The series is only the second time the teams are meeting in this format in a bilateral setting, and the opening match was among the biggest early moments in the three-game run.
This first bilateral ODI series between India and Afghanistan marks a fresh chapter for their one-day rivalry. In one-day cricket, the sides have only met at major tournaments—World Cups and Asia Cups—where India won three of the four matches and the other ended in a tie.
The mood heading into Saturday’s game carried sharper edges. India entered the match having lost three of its past five ODI matches. Afghanistan, meanwhile, arrived on momentum, having won four consecutive ODIs.
That contrast landed even heavier because last week India completed a one-off test against Afghanistan with an innings and a 300-run win inside three days. It was a reminder that form can shift quickly across formats—and that Saturday’s ODI start was already being shaped by forces outside either team’s control.
The second ODI is scheduled for Wednesday in Lucknow, and the third is set for June 20 in Chennai, turning this weather delay into more than a timing problem as the series schedule tightens.
India vs Afghanistan first ODI Dharamsala rain delay Lucknow ODI Chennai ODI three-match series bilateral ODI