Virat Kohli ruled out of ODI series vs Afghanistan after sustaining hamstring injury

Star batter Virat Kohli has been ruled out of India’s One Day International (ODI) series against Afghanistan after sustaining a hamstring injury. The three-match series is set to commence from Saturday, June 13, after the one-off Test match between the two teams. 

Kohli suffered the injury whilst playing in the 2026 Indian Premier League final against the Gujarat Titans on May 31. Despite battling through the pain, the 37-year-old guided the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second successive title by producing a match-winning innings of 75 not out from 42 deliveries.

It is worth noting that the extent of Kohli’s injury is not known. However, it comes as a massive blow for India and the right-handed batter as they continue their preparations for next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup. The former captain not only had an excellent IPL 2026 but also had an outstanding time representing the Men in Blue in ODI cricket. He ended 2025 with 651 runs under his belt at an average of 65.10 with three centuries. Kohli also played three games against New Zealand earlier this year, scoring 240 runs at an outstanding strike-rate of 105.26. 

As things stand, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are yet to announce an injury replacement for Kohli for their ODI series against Afghanistan. 

The management will be hoping the batter’s injury is not serious in nature, which could jeopardise his selection ahead of the all-important white-ball tour to England, where India will play three ODIs against the 2019 champions. It could also be a precautionary decision to leave Kohli out for a home series against Afghanistan to keep him fit and fresh for the series in the United Kingdom. 

The Men in Blue have a plethora of star-studded batters in the squad, including Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. An in-form Ishan Kishan has also been included in the setup and could replace Kohli as the side’s number three. The Sunrisers Hyderabad star is the only renowned left-hander in the side and could be a great asset at the top order. 

India’s ODI squad vs Afghanistan:

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