IND vs AFG 2026 1st ODI: Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma is set to turn out in 283rd ODI match for Team India as they get ready to take on Afghanistan in the opening match of the three-game series at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Saturday.
When Rohit steps out to open the batting with captain Shubman Gill, he will break a long-standing record in ODI cricket held by legendary Mohinder Amarnath.
Rohit is going to be 39 years and 44 days old when he turns out for Team India on Saturday in the first ODI against Afghanistan and he will become oldest cricketer to play for the country in the 50-over format in the last 52 years.
Former India all-rounder Mohinder Amarnath was 39 years and 36 days when he last played ODI cricket for the Indian side. Amarnath’s last ODI match came in 1989 against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Mumbai Indians batter Rohit Sharma had to clear a fitness test at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru before being cleared to take part in the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. Rohit had injured his hamstring in the IPL 2026 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 12 and was ruled out of action for almost one month.
He turned out in only 9 matches for MI in IPL 2026, scoring 283 runs at an average of 35.37 with 2 fifties at a strike-rate of 157.22. In ODI cricket, Rohit Sharma has scored 11577 runs at an average of 48.84 with a strike-rate of 92.74 with 33 hundreds and 61 fifties.
Rohit’s role will be crucial in the three-match ODI series for Team India as former captain Virat Kohli has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury along with all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who will also miss the series with a quadriceps injury.
Former India cricketer Suresh Raina believes ‘physical as well as mental preparation’ will be crucial for both Kohli and Rohit Sharma going forward in ODI cricket. Rohit and Kohli have both retired from T20I and Test cricket and are only active in ODI cricket.
“Physical and mental preparation will be key for Virat Kohli. He looks very strong in white-ball cricket. The same goes for Rohit Sharma. Both are proven run-scorers in ICC World Cups. Rohit topped the run charts in 2019, and Virat did the same in 2023. They have also won ICC trophies, which adds immense value to their leadership and presence. They know how to handle pressure in knockout games,” Raina said on JioStar’s show ‘Follow the Blues’.
“They have been there, done that. Experience matters in big tournaments. The young batters around them will benefit from their guidance. For Shubman Gill, captaining India in a World Cup, having Rohit and Virat alongside him will be a huge advantage. Their experience will be invaluable on and off the field. In a high-pressure tournament like the World Cup, that kind of presence can make all the difference,” Raina added.