India, June 13 -- Another day, another cricket series, and another reason for Indian fans to settle in for a weekend of action. Team India begin a new chapter in their white-ball journey on Saturday as they take on Afghanistan in the first-ever bilateral ODI series between the two nations at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. With an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup, the three-match contest marks the start of India's long-term preparations in the 50-over format.

India head into the series riding high after a commanding win over Afghanistan in the recently concluded one-off Test, with captain Shubman Gill looking to carry that momentum into the ODI arena. However, the hosts will be without two key names, as Virat Kohli continues to recover fro...