Virat Kohli ruled out of Afghanistan ODIs due to injury, Yashasvi Jaiswal named replacement
India batter Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan after failing to recover from a hamstring injury, with Yashasvi Jaiswal named as his replacement in the squad.
The injury was sustained during the IPL 2026 final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans, where Kohli played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 75 to help RCB secure their second consecutive title.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said Kohli's recovery is still being assessed and there is no definitive timeline for his return. However, he expressed hope that the veteran batter could regain fitness in time for India's ODI series against England scheduled for July.
Jaiswal, who has established himself as an all-format player for India, receives another opportunity in the 50-over format. The left-handed opener has played four ODIs so far and made headlines earlier this year with a maiden ODI century against South Africa.
Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia provided updates on the fitness of senior players Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma. Pandya is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and is nearing the final stage of his recovery programme. Although included in the Afghanistan ODI squad, he has been rested from India's upcoming tours of Ireland and England as part of workload management.
Former captain Rohit Sharma is also expected to visit the Centre of Excellence for fitness assessment after dealing with a hamstring issue during the IPL season, which limited his appearances for Mumbai Indians.
India's ODI squad for the Afghanistan series will be led by Shubman Gill and includes Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh among others. The three-match series will be played in Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai later this month.
