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India's preparations for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan have been dealt a setback with star batter Virat Kohli ruled out due to a hamstring injury, while the participation of senior players Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya remains dependent on fitness clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE).
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed Kohli's absence while announcing squads for the upcoming T20I tours of Ireland and England and the 2026 Asian Games. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been named Kohli's replacement for the home ODI series against Afghanistan. Kohli sustained the injury during the IPL 2026 final, where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully defended their title. Providing an update on the former India captain, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said the exact recovery timeline is yet to be determined. "With Virat at this point, I think it's just what has been less than a week since he injured himself in the final (IPL 2026), so they'll probably assess. We don't know the timelines yet, but it looks like he might be fit for that England ODI series. But again, it's not a definitive answer, so don't hold me to it. We haven't had a clear timeline from the physio yet," Agarkar said. India are scheduled to face Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series beginning in Dharamsala on June 13. The second ODI will be played in Lucknow on June 17, while Chennai will host the final match on June 20. Meanwhile, Rohit and Hardik are continuing their rehabilitation programmes as they recover from injuries sustained during the IPL season. Rohit is recovering from a lingering hamstring issue, while Hardik is undergoing treatment for persistent back spasms that sidelined him during the latter stages of IPL 2026. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said both players are progressing through the prescribed rehabilitation process and will require final clearance from the CoE before being available for selection. "So far as Hardik and Rohit are concerned, Hardik is in the COE (Centre of Excellence) Bengaluru; he's going through a rehabilitation programme, and very soon he will go for the final test, and he'll be in the process of clearance. So far as Rohit is concerned, he is also visiting COE in the coming two or three days' time, so we are following a process for each player who is suffering from any kind of injury, and whenever there is a rehabilitation programme, they have to be finally cleared from the COE through our technical teams there, so the process is on and we are awaiting their final fitness clearance," Saikia said. While Hardik has not been included in the T20I squads for the Ireland and England tours, he remains part of India's ODI plans against Afghanistan, subject to fitness approval. Explaining the decision, Agarkar emphasised the management's focus on preparing the all-rounder for the 50-over format ahead of future major tournaments. "Hardik is part of the One-day squad against Afghanistan. We are trying to see if we can get him playing well and keep him fit for One-Day cricket. I don't think he's played it for a while. At this point, that is the main objective. We can always bring him back. It also gives us an opportunity to give someone like a Nitish Reddy a few opportunities with T20 cricket," said Agarkar. "So, there will be a little bit of rotation with regard to T20, but the main objective is to see if he can start playing well and stay healthy with 50-over cricket. The World Cup is in about a year and a half around. That sort of time gives us a lot of balance. The World Cup IS in South Africa, and if he's bowling well enough, we'll assess how we go in the next few months; that's primarily the reason at this point," he concluded. (ANI)
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