Intro
India star’s absence deals major blow ahead of Afghanistan series opener
New Delhi
Indian batting icon Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match One-Day International series against Afghanistan after suffering a hamstring injury, dealing a significant setback to the hosts ahead of the series beginning on June 13.
A Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source confirmed that Kohli will miss the entire series due to the injury. The matches are scheduled to be played in Dharamsala on June 13, Lucknow on June 17, and Chennai on June 20.
The 37-year-old recently enjoyed one of the finest seasons of his career in the Indian Premier League, guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a second successive title. Kohli finished the tournament with 675 runs, including a century and five half-centuries, and struck the winning runs in the final against Gujarat Titans.
Having retired from T20 Internationals and Test cricket, Kohli is now focused solely on the ODI format. Despite reducing his international workload, he remains one of the sport’s biggest attractions and rarely misses matches due to injury because of his renowned fitness standards.
His absence is expected to reduce the spotlight on the Afghanistan series, which would have provided fans another opportunity to watch one of India’s greatest batters in action.
Meanwhile, there is also uncertainty surrounding the availability of India captain Rohit Sharma. Rohit was included in the squad subject to fitness after battling a hamstring issue during the IPL season.
The fitness of both Kohli and Rohit continues to be closely monitored as India begins preparations for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup in South Africa. Since retiring from Test cricket last year, speculation has persisted over how long the veteran duo will continue in the 50-over format.
India’s selectors are expected to assess Kohli’s recovery before finalising plans for future international assignments.