The ODI fans’ expectations have taken a massive hit as Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the one-day series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury. The former India captain had an iconic season with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, scoring more than 600 runs, and taking his team to successive IPL titles.
He was in red-hot form till the finals, considering the level of fitness and consistency that he maintains. However, while playing the IPL 2026 final against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, the RCB star seemed uncomfortable as he took multiple physical treatments on the field before completing the chase for his team. Turns out it was a hamstring issue that has hampered his expectation to play one-day cricket as per PTI’s BCCI source.
Virat Kohli (Credits: X)
Virat steered RCB to comfortable win in final but took a toll on the way
Virat Kohli was superb in the IPL final after a blistering 62-run partnership with Venkatesh Iyer in a 156-run chase. However, when Rashid Khan brought GT back into the game, he changed gears and held one end strongly, smashing a 25-ball fifty, the fastest in his IPL career.
Then, Kohli and Tim David added 41 runs, which brought RCB on the brink of victory. In the end, it was Kohli (75* off 42) who hit the winning six to take RCB to a second consecutive IPL title. But on his way to claim the second IPL title, he developed a hamstring injury for which he received treatment on the ground and was even seen limping at the end. However, there was no official update about it.
India-Afghanistan ODI series might lose its glamour in Kohli’s absence
Virat Kohli’s absence from the ODIs against Afghanistan will take away all the sheen from the three-match one-day series. Former India captain was a sure shot to play in the series, backed by his red-hot form in IPL. However, with Rohit Sharma’s availability subject to fitness clearance from CoE (Centre of Excellence), Kohli not playing the ODI series will omit the crowd-pulling factor from the series.
Ishan Kishan expected to be in Playing XI, Suspense over Rohit Sharma
In the absence of Virat Kohli, the most probable player who can take up Virat Kohli’s no.3 spot in the Team India is Ishan Kishan. The Jharkhand batter can bat at number 3 and showcased his prowess to charge as well as settle the innings depending on the situation while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad this year.
Ishan Kishan is also part of the 15-member ODI squad that was named for the Afghanistan series. So it’ll be more feasible for the management to give a chance to the young batter.
Meanwhile, if Rohit also misses the series, that’ll open the way for selectors to infuse youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Tilak Varma, and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the Playing XI for the 3-game series. Reportedly, Rohit Sharma has not yet reported to the Centre of Excellence for fitness check before ODI series, so there is suspense over his availability as well for one-day games.
Kohli stamped his authority in the ODI format last year
Virat finished as the leading run-scorer in his cherished 50-over format in 2025, amassing 651 runs in 13 innings at an average of 65.10 and a strike rate of 96.15. His one-day performance included four centuries, three half-centuries, a successful ICC Champions Trophy campaign, a Player of the Series award against South Africa, and a return to the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings for the first time in four years.
The former India captain even played the 50-over domestic tournament as well, turning up in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last season. He smashed 208 runs in just two matches that included 131 off 101 balls against Andhra and a half-century against Gujarat. The performances also saw him surpass Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest batter to 16,000 List A runs.
