Deepti Sharma was never overtly worried during the first part of 2026 when she was not getting wickets as she knew that her time would come sooner or later.
The hosts won the first match by 86 runs and the second game by five wickets, both on the DLS method, to register their first ODI series victory against Australia.
Powered by a classy half-century from Smriti Mandhana and a devastating bowling display led by Deepti Sharma, India begin their campaign with a strong win.
Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, on Saturday, credited India head coach Gautam Gambhir for his technical inputs after smashing a 51-ball 102 against the hosts in the opening ODI here.
As part of the preparations, India are planning to strengthen their bench strength as they will field two debutants in Dharamsala in the form of spinner Harsh Dubey and pacer Gurnoor Brar
After making the highest total in tournament history - 219-1 - with 105 not out by opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge, England dismissed Sri Lanka for 132 on Friday
According to the weather report, the first ODI between India and Afghanistan in Dharamsala could be heavily affected by rain, with the probability of precipitation highest in the early afternoon
Shreyas Iyer's T20I appointment signals India's move away from the all-format captaincy model that shaped the Dhoni, Kohli, and Rohit eras, towards a more format-specific leadership
