Virat Kohli has been ruled out of India’s three-match ODI series against Afghanistan after picking up a hamstring injury during the Indian Premier League final in May, forcing the national selectors to hand a fresh opportunity to 24-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal. The setback means Kohli, one of the format’s most decorated batters, will miss a series that had been shaping up as an early opportunity for India’s revamped one-day unit to build combinations ahead of a packed 2026-27 calendar.
How the Injury Happened
Kohli aggravated the hamstring during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning run at the IPL, where he was named Player of the Match in the final against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on 31 May. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said scans showed the injury needed extended rehabilitation rather than a quick turnaround, and that team management preferred to manage Kohli’s workload with an eye on India’s July series in England rather than risk a recurrence against Afghanistan.
“We don’t want to rush someone of Virat’s experience back into international cricket before he’s ready,” Agarkar said, adding that the team’s medical staff would reassess his fitness closer to the England tour. Kohli, for his part, posted on social media that he was “frustrated but focused on getting right” and thanked the support staff working with him at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Jaiswal Steps Into the Middle Order
Jaiswal, primarily known as a Test and T20I opener, was named as Kohli’s like-for-like replacement in the ODI squad, a selection that surprised some observers given his limited exposure to the middle order in the 50-over format. Selectors indicated the left-hander’s form in the India A tri-series and four-day series in Sri Lanka, where he impressed alongside players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, factored heavily into the decision.
Captain Shubman Gill said the squad would use the series to experiment with batting depth, noting that Shreyas Iyer’s vice-captaincy and Ishan Kishan’s recall give the middle order a different look without Kohli’s steadying influence. “It’s an opportunity for someone to put their hand up,” Gill said at the squad announcement.
A Deep and Rebuilt Squad
The 15-man squad named for the Afghanistan series also includes Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, alongside uncapped quicks Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar. The series follows a standalone Test against Afghanistan and represents Afghanistan’s first bilateral ODI assignment against India on home soil in several years, underlining the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s push for more fixtures against top-tier opponents.
Two Views on the Decision
Some former India players have praised the cautious approach, arguing that Kohli, now in the latter stages of a career that has produced more than 13,000 ODI runs, should not be risked in a series against lower-ranked opposition. Others have questioned whether resting him against Afghanistan, rather than a higher-profile series, makes strategic sense, suggesting India could have used the Afghanistan fixtures as low-risk match practice for Kohli’s return rather than sitting him out entirely.
Former selector Devang Gandhi said the call reflects a broader shift in how India manages its senior players, pointing to similar rest periods given to Rohit Sharma in recent years. “You protect your big performers for the games that matter most — that’s just modern squad management,” Gandhi said.
What It Means for July and Beyond
Agarkar confirmed Kohli is targeting a return for India’s ODI series in England beginning 14 July, a tour that will be scrutinised closely given his poor recent record in English conditions compared to his numbers at home. Team management is expected to give an updated fitness report after the Afghanistan series concludes, with Kohli continuing his rehabilitation programme in Bengaluru in the meantime.
For Jaiswal, the series offers a rare audition in the middle order, a role he has rarely occupied for India, and a chance to show the selectors he can be more than a specialist opener as the team looks toward its next 50-over cycle.
The Afghanistan series also carries weight for the hosts, who have used ODI cricket to close the gap on established Test nations in recent years, most visibly through Rashid Khan’s leadership and a batting order anchored by Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal. A competitive showing against a weakened but still formidable India top order would further the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s case for more regular fixtures against the game’s traditional powers, a push that has gathered momentum since the team’s run to the Champions Trophy in recent years.