Mumbai: India have suffered a major setback ahead of the ODI series against Afghanistan as star batsman Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the squad due to a hamstring injury.
According to reports, Kohli suffered the injury while representing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final against Gujarat Titans. The former India captain was seen struggling between the wickets but continued to bat despite the discomfort.
India will first play a one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh from June 6 to 10 before hosting the visitors in a three-match ODI series scheduled across Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai from June 13 to 20.
Kohli’s absence added to India’s worries, with skipper Rohit Sharma also racing against time to prove his fitness. Following an injury sustained during the IPL season, the veteran opener was included in the squad, subject to medical clearance.
Dual fitness concerns cast a shadow over what was expected to be a routine household task. Their absence poses a challenge to the team management while opening the door for younger players to stake a claim in India’s ODI set-up.
The series comes at a critical juncture for Indian cricket as it steadily builds towards the 2027 ODI World Cup. With the changes in the squad, the performance of the middle order, which is devoid of senior players, will be closely monitored by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and the selection committee.
Kohli’s loss in 2026 IPL series is very unfortunate. The right-hander scored 675 runs in 16 innings at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165, including a century and five fifties.
In the IPL final in Ahmedabad, Kohli played an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls to play a match-winning innings as RCB chased down 156 to win by 5 wickets with 12 balls to spare. He brought up his fifty in 25 balls, the fastest in his IPL career.
India Squad for ODI vs Afghanistan:
Subman Gill (catch), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasit Krishna, Prince Yadav, Kurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey.