India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed on Saturday that Yashasvi Jaiswal will replace Virat Kohli for the upcoming three-match One-Day International series against Afghanistan. This official announcement followed news that Kohli suffered a serious hamstring injury during the final match of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The series starts on June 13 in Dharamsala, with further matches to follow later this month in Lucknow and Chennai. The Board of Control for Cricket in India selected the 24-year-old Jaiswal to step in for the veteran batter while he recovers.
Virat Kohli Rules Out Due to Hamstring Injury
Virat Kohli suffered a hamstring injury on May 31 while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans. He hit a match-winning, unbeaten 75 runs, but there were clear signs of physical discomfort throughout the innings. At first, viewers thought it was just some muscle cramps. But scans revealed a specific and unusual injury known as a distal semimembranosus tendon tear.
Kohli injured his hamstring during RCB’s run to the IPL 2026 title https://t.co/xTS89kYwuQ
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 6, 2026
Specifically, this injury involves a tear in the thick tendon that connects the muscle to the inner part of the shinbone. Doctors have advised the 37-year-old star to rest for at least two weeks to allow the area to heal. There is no definitive date as of now for Kohli’s comeback, stated chief selector Ajit Agarkar. The Centre of Excellence medical team have to clear him first, but he could be fit for the England ODI series in July.
Yashasvi Jaiswal Steps Up for Team India
The absence of Kohli gives talented left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal a huge opportunity in the 50-over format. Jaiswal is a regular in the Test squad but has represented the country in only four ODIs since his debut against England in February 2025. Meanwhile, he has already shown he can perform at the highest level in this format.
In his most recent ODI appearance six months ago, Jaiswal scored a brilliant unbeaten 116 against South Africa in Visakhapatnam. This century helped India chase down a target of 271 runs with ease. Many experts believe Jaiswal is the future of Indian batting, and this series provides him with a chance to confirm his place in the ODI line-up. Former India cricketer Atul Wassan termed it as a win-win for India as it will help the team manage the workload of Kohli and provide opportunities to the youngsters to gain experience.
The Updated India ODI Squad for the Series
Shubman Gill will be the captain of the Indian team for the series, while Shreyas Iyer will be the vice-captain. The squad is a mix of seasoned stars and new talents.
India’s Updated ODI Squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma (Subject to fitness), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (Wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (Wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (Subject to fitness), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey
India vs Afghanistan ODI Series Schedule and Details
The BCCI announced the full schedule for Afghanistan’s tour of India earlier this year. The tour includes a one-off Test match followed by the three-match ODI series. All ODI matches are scheduled to start at 1:30 PM IST.
| 1st ODI | June 13 | Dharmashala |
| 2nd ODI | June 17 | Lucknow |
| 3rd ODI | June 20 | Chennai |
Now that India looks forward to the 2027 ODI World Cup, the selectors want to experiment with different combinations of players to build a strong squad for that big tournament.
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