Kohli ruled out of the Afghanistan ODIs after a hamstring injury in the IPL final
Virat Kohli will miss India’s three-match ODI series against Afghanistan after the hamstring problem he carried through the IPL 2026 final, with Ruturaj Gaikwad reported as the likely replacement.
Jun 6, 2026
India will have to start their ODI year without Virat Kohli. The former captain has been ruled out of the three-match series against Afghanistan after the hamstring injury he carried through the IPL 2026 final failed to settle in time, leaving the selectors to reshuffle a top order that already had question marks hanging over it.
An injury that got worse before it got better
Kohli picked up the problem during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title win, and anyone who watched the final could see it. He was hobbling between the wickets long before the finish, yet he stayed out there and made an unbeaten 75 that carried RCB to back-to-back titles. The decision to bat on looks brave in hindsight and costly in equal measure. Scans after the tournament confirmed the hamstring would not be ready for a 50-over series, and the medical staff have opted to give it the rest it needs rather than risk a longer absence.
There is never a convenient time for a fitness setback, but this one bites. Kohli was one of the few certainties in an ODI batting group still working out its best shape, and his absence removes a vast amount of experience from the middle order at a point when India are trying to settle combinations.
Gaikwad the reported beneficiary
Reports out of the selection meeting suggest Ruturaj Gaikwad is the man being lined up to come in. The timing works in his favour. Gaikwad had already been added to the India A squad for the tri-nation series in Sri Lanka, drafted in for the injured Riyan Parag, and a promotion to the senior side would be a logical next step for a batter who has been knocking on the door for a while.
Nothing has been rubber-stamped publicly yet, so the call should be treated as a strong indication rather than a done deal. If it goes through, Gaikwad would slot into a top order that suddenly looks a lot less settled than it did a fortnight ago.
More than one selection headache
Kohli is not the only concern. Rohit Sharma’s availability is also up in the air after he picked up a knock of his own during the IPL, and the squad was named with the caveat that his involvement depends on how he pulls up physically. Shubman Gill leads the side, and with two senior batters in doubt, the depth India have been quietly building over the last couple of seasons is about to be tested in real conditions.
The Afghanistan tour opens with a Test in New Chandigarh before the white-ball leg begins. The first ODI is in Dharamshala on June 13, followed by the second in Lucknow on June 17 and the third in Chennai on June 20. Afghanistan have made a habit of being awkward opponents in this format, so India will not want to be too experimental, injuries or not.
For Kohli, the focus now shifts to recovery and the bigger assignments later in the year. For whoever replaces him, it is a chance to stake a claim while the door is open.