Virat Kohli will miss India’s three-match one-day series against Afghanistan after tweaking his right hamstring during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s surge to the IPL title last month. Left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal has been drafted in as cover.
India’s chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, confirmed the change when the squad assembled in Mumbai on Saturday. “With Virat at this point, it’s just been less than a week since he injured himself in the [IPL] finals. We don’t know the timelines yet,” Agarkar said, admitting the medical team had offered only cautious optimism. He added, “But it looks like he might be fit for that England one-day series. It’s not a definitive answer, so don’t hold me to it. I haven’t had a clear timeline from the physio yet.”
Kohli, now focusing solely on the 50-over format after stepping away from Tests and T20 internationals, last played for India in January, topping the run charts against New Zealand with 240 runs at a strike rate a fraction above 105. That form rolled straight into the IPL: 675 runs at 56.25 and a career-best strike rate of 165.84 as RCB secured back-to-back trophies. The workload finally caught up in the final, when he pulled up chasing a quick single. A scan the following morning showed a grade-one strain—hardly disastrous, but enough for the physios to recommend a fortnight’s rest.
Into the vacancy comes Jaiswal, 24, who cracked an unbeaten 116 against South Africa last December and generally looks the part at the top of the order. Four ODIs is hardly a career, yet the left-hander’s willingness to attack the new ball—think upper-cut and on-the-up drives—has impressed the selectors. If the pitches in Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai offer early seam, India might still go with the more experienced Rohit Sharma to open; otherwise Jaiswal could well slot straight in.
The Afghan series starts on 13 June in the foothills of the Himalayas, moves south-west to Lucknow four days later, and wraps up in humid Chennai on 20 June. A fresh squad for England will be named once those matches are done, giving Kohli every chance to prove fitness in the meantime.
India (v Afghanistan): Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (vice-capt), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.
