India vs Afghanistan Weather Report: Orange Alert, Thunderstorms & Hail Threats Over 1st ODI in Dharamsala

NEW DELHI: Rain and thunderstorms could steal the spotlight when India take on Afghanistan in the first ODI of the three-match series at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday.As Shubman Gill’s India begin preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup after a crushing innings and 300-run victory over Afghanistan in the one-off Test in Mullanpur, all eyes will also be on the weather in the picturesque hill town.The Indian camp will already be without two key players. Virat Kohli has been ruled out with a hamstring injury while Hardik Pandya will miss the entire series after suffering a sprained leg.However, the biggest concern before the start of the series is the weather forecast.

Orange Warning, Thunderstorms & Hail Threats Over 1st ODI in Dharamsala

The India Meteorological Department has predicted wet conditions in Himachal Pradesh till June 16. An orange warning was issued for June 12, warning of thunderstorms, hail and gusty winds for several parts of the state. From June 13 to June 16, a yellow warning will remain in effect, warning of the possibility of rain, thunderstorms and lightning in isolated places.Light rain is expected in Dharamsala on the day of the match with about a 55 percent chance of rainfall. Temperatures are likely to range between 12 and 18°C.The weather forecast is a big concern for fans eager to watch India begin their ODI campaign under Gill’s leadership. Any significant rain could affect the competition and force teams to rely on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.After the opening ODI in Dharamsala, the teams will travel to Lucknow for the second match on June 17 before concluding the series in Chennai on June 20.

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav.Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Ahm Darwlad, Bilkli Rashi Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi.