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In a massive setback for the Indian men’s cricket team, batting maestro Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match One Day International (ODI) series against Afghanistan.
The 37-year-old batting stalwart suffered a hamstring injury during the high-octane Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final match on Sunday, May 31. The sudden injury comes as a significant dampener to fans who were eagerly waiting to watch the legendary top-order batter play in India’s historic first-ever bilateral 50-over series against the Afghan team.
The news was broke on Thursday morning by news agency PTI, citing reliable sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “He is out of the ODI series due to a hamstring injury,” a BCCI source officially confirmed to PTI. The star right-hander from Delhi had just capped off an incredible domestic campaign, winning the Player of the Match award in the IPL 2026 final for smashing a blistering 75 runs off just 42 balls to lead the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against the Gujarat Titans.
Jaiswal and Gaikwad Lead the Race for Replacements
While the BCCI is yet to release a formal medical bulletin regarding the severity of Kohli’s injury or an official squad replacement name, selectors are already evaluating technical backups. Explosive young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is a frontrunner to make the squad. Jaiswal was part of India’s contingent during their previous 50-over assignment against New Zealand but spent the entire three-match series on the bench.
Another incredibly strong candidate in the mix is Ruturaj Gaikwad, who previously turned heads with his technical brilliance in the middle-order during the South African ODI tour last year. However, Gaikwad’s inclusion poses a minor scheduling conflict for the selectors, as he is currently designated to travel with the India A squad for an upcoming developmental tri-series in Sri Lanka.
Rohit Sharma’s Fitness Concerns Cloud Team Selection
The injury to Kohli further compounds the leadership and selection headaches for the Indian team management. Regular veteran skipper Rohit Sharma was initially named in the provisional home squad announced on May 19, but his availability for all three matches remains highly questionable.
Rohit’s initial selection was heavily conditional, subject to passing a comprehensive fitness clearance test after a recurring hamstring niggle restricted his appearances for his franchise in the latter half of the IPL 2026 season.
Should Rohit be rested or managed conservatively, full-time series captain Shubman Gill will shoulder a highly youthful batting order lacking major veteran insulation.
India vs Afghanistan ODI Series Schedule
The highly anticipated three-match ODI series will proceed as scheduled, moving across three distinct iconic venues in India.
- 1st ODI (Dharamshala): The action kicks off on Saturday, June 13, under the scenic peaks at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
- 2nd ODI (Lucknow): The teams will then fly down to the flat decks of the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, June 17.
- 3rd ODI (Chennai): The final 50-over clash takes place at the iconic, spin-friendly MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday, June 20.
| Current Indian ODI Squad Available | Match Venues Locked In | Match Start Timings (IST) |
| Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma*, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey | Dharamshala (June 13) Lucknow (June 17) Chennai (June 20) | 01:30 PM IST (All Matches) |