India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI: Fresh Insights and Key Takeaways

India made a strong return to white‑ball cricket, posting a comprehensive seven‑wicket victory over Afghanistan in a rain‑shortened first ODI in Dharamshala on Saturday, June 13. The team now leads the three‑match series 1‑0 and will look to clinch the trophy in the second match scheduled for Lucknow on Wednesday, June 17.

Talking Points:

1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz shows his white-ball prowess in Dharamshala

Despite his challenges in the recent Test, Rahmanullah Gurbaz demonstrated why he is one of Afghanistan‘s premier white‑ball batters. In a contest that resembled a T20, he struck an unbeaten 102 off just 51 balls at a strike‑rate of 200, including eight fours and eight sixes.

2. Indian debutants bring sunshine on a damp day

India introduced two new bowlers, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey, who thrived on an overcast afternoon in Himachal Pradesh. Both finished with three wickets apiece, with Brar claiming figures of 3 for 27.

3. Shubman Gill translates IPL form to the international stage

Shubman Gill excelled in the IPL with Gujarat Titans, amassing over 700 runs. He carried that momentum into the international arena, emerging as India’s top performer. The captain remained not out on 84, striking at a rate of 127.27 to guide the side to victory.

Who said what?

Hashmatullah Shahidi – Afghanistan Captain:

“Yeah, it was a tough game. I think back-to-back wickets was the reason. I was feeling that when Gurbaz was playing, I was feeling that if we scored 220, 230, that might be a good target, but we gave some back-to-back wickets and after that, we were short of almost 30 runs, I think. (What was the thinking when you were batting?) I think in my mind, I was trying to target the left-arm spinner because the boundary was also shorter that side. But I think Gurbaz played really well, but after that, we did some mistakes. It started for me and then other batsmen. That’s why we were like 30 runs short. (Anything with the ball you could have done differently?) Well, the wicket was also, to be honest, a little bit flatter, but we were not that much disciplined in our bowling as well. So hopefully we learn from this and we come back stronger into the next match.”

Shubman Gill – India Captain and Player of the Match:

“I mean, it was kind of a T20 game, I think the way we started and then they pulled the game away from us. Gurbaz batted brilliantly, the way he got his century was brilliant. But I think the way we pulled back in the middle overs and the death overs was brilliant. Honestly, I think it was a brilliant wicket to bat on. It was, as the match went on, even when we were bowling, there was a little bit of grip for the spinners. When they were bowling, the ball was coming on pretty nicely. (Talks about the slip catch) No, I definitely caught the ball, practicing a lot, taking a lot of slip catches and even, you know, before the match, I was talking to a friend, he was that I haven’t really taken like a really brilliant catch in my international career so far, one-handed and very happy to get that catch. (Talking about the run-out) He saw the replay, he said it’s fine. Even in the last match that we played against Afghanistan, T20s, he got run out there as well. (What do you think about the debutants today) Very impressive, upfront, how Gurnoor bowled, brilliant pace and the way he was swinging the ball, the kind of length he bowled consistently and even Harsh as well, after I think in the first over, he went for 16-17 runs and the way he pulled the game back, trusted himself and kept tossing the ball up. It was very impressive. I think the middle overs in one-day games is very crucial, if you can keep, as a bowling group, if we can keep building pressure in the middle overs and keep creating opportunities and same when we are batting, if we can keep rotating the strike, keep batting at a healthy run rate, 6-6.5, without losing too many wickets, then you can really set up the game in the death. So these are the key points that we discuss in team meetings, how can we keep creating opportunities in the middle overs as a bowling group and when we are batting, how can we, keep really pumping on the runs.”

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