Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play vs Afghanistan? Latest Ro-Ko injury updates and what it means for India ODIs originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Virat Kohli is reportedly set to miss India‘s ODI series against Afghanistan due to injury.
- Rohit Sharma might be out too since he hurt his hamstring during IPL 2026.
- While Rohit made the initial squad, his involvement relies on passing a fitness test.
- The BCCI hasn’t officially pulled either player from the lineup yet, but pundits are speculating over India’s options.
Virat Kohli injury update and latest ahead of Afghanistan ODIs
India might have to get by without Virat Kohli for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan, as Dainik Jagran journalist Abhishek Tripathi says he has been ruled out due to injury. Yet, the BCCI hasn’t officially stated that yet.
Kohli played a huge part in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s defense of their title. Still, reports suggest that the decision of the selectors and medical team not to risk him could be in lieu of a jam-packed international schedule.
If true, Kohli’s absence would really hurt India’s middle order. On the other hand, it would give younger players a chance to prove themselves in ODIs.
BCCI Chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed the news during a press conference on June 6. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been named as Kohli’s injury replacement in the ODI squad.
“It’s just less than a week since he injured himself in the IPl final. Don’t know the timelines yet, looks like he might be fit for England ODIs. Not a definitive squad, don’t have a timeline from the physio yet.”
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Rohit Sharma fitness update. Will he make IND vs AFG ODI series?
Rohit Sharma’s availability for the India vs Afghanistan ODI series is also presently unclear. He dealt with a hamstring issue during the 2026 IPL, missing some Mumbai Indians games before eventually coming back later in the tournament.
RevSportz journalist Subhayan Chakraborty suggests Rohit might skip the Afghanistan series too. This could have left India without both of their top ODI batters in Rohit and Kohli.
However, Agarkar revealed that Rohit is still in contention.
“Rohit will visit CoE in the next two to three days. We follow a usual process for injured players. We’re awaiting their final fitness clearance.”
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Who could replace Ro-Ko?
With Virat Kohli rumored to skip the Afghanistan ODI series and Rohit Sharma still waiting for the green light on fitness, India might have to shuffle its top batting lineup.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been named as Kohli’s injury replacement. If Rohit is also ruled out, other potential replacement options include Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma and even Devdutt Padikkal’s recent run should keep in contention as well.
MORE:India squad for Afghanistan Test and ODI series 2026: Full team lists for IND vs AFG series
The Bigger Picture: Ro-Ko absence could fast-track India’s ODI transition
If Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma sit out the Afghanistan ODIs, it could be a big chance for India’s next stars before the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Their absence would definitely hurt the batting lineup, but it would also give the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma and Devdutt Padikkal some crucial international playtime.
The coaches were thinking about resting the veteran players soon anyway, so these injuries might just speed up that process. The temporary lineup issues could actually be helpful, letting India spot the next batters ready to shine in the coming World Cup cycle.
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