Virat Kohli to Miss ODI Series Against Afghanistan Due to Injury

Kohli's Absence in the Upcoming ODI Series

India will be without Virat Kohli for the ODI series against Afghanistan, which kicks off on June 13. The former captain sustained an injury during the IPL 2026 final, where he played a crucial innings of 75 runs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against Gujarat Titans (GT). Kohli experienced discomfort while running after his innings and was subsequently ruled out of the series. On June 6, India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced that Yashasvi Jaiswal would replace Kohli in the squad.

Jaiswal had previously been dropped from the ODI team following the return of Ishan Kishan. He had made a significant impact in his last ODI match against South Africa in December, scoring a century. However, he was benched when captain Shubman Gill returned for the New Zealand series and was not included in the squad for the Afghanistan matches. So far, Jaiswal has accumulated 171 runs in four ODIs, but he is not part of the T20I team. Since his debut in 2023, he has been a consistent player in Test matches.

Rohit Sharma's Fitness Update

Rohit Sharma to Reach COE Soon

Rohit Sharma is expected to arrive at the BCCI Centre of Excellence shortly. The BCCI has requested him to pass a fitness test before he can join the team for the ODI series. Rohit had suffered a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 league stage, which sidelined him for several weeks. Although he returned to the playing XI during the tournament, he participated only as an Impact Player. The BCCI has mandated that he clear the fitness test before his inclusion in the squad. Additionally, Hardik Pandya has also been asked to complete a fitness assessment, as he missed several IPL matches due to back spasms and is not included in any T20I squads.