IND vs AFG Injury News: India and Afghanistan will be playing their first ODI series, starting with the first ODI today in Dharamshala. The two Asian nations recently played a one-off test in Mullanpur, where the hosts won by an innings and 300 runs. However, the result might not be so lopsided in 50 overs, given that Afghanistan in the past has shown positive results in the format. Moreover, the Indian team will be missing key players in the form of Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya in the series, combined with a second-string pace attack that will not feature either Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammed Siraj. Here is a look at the India vs Afghanistan injury news and the predicted playing XIs.
IND vs AFG, 1st ODI: Will Virat Kohli play today’s match at HPCA Stadium?
No, Virat Kohli will not be playing today’s match at the HPCA Stadium. The right-handed batter has been ruled out of the series after picking up a hamstring injury during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru claimed their second title in a win over the Gujarat Titans. Kohli is expected to return to international cricket in the ODI series against England, according to the latest media reports. He was originally named in the squad for this series, but has now been replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal.
IND vs AFG, 1st ODI: Will Hardik Pandya play today’s match at HPCA Stadium?
No, Hardik Pandya will not play today’s match against Afghanistan at the HPCA Stadium. Hardik Pandya has had a rollercoaster when it comes to his injuries. The star all-rounder, after picking up a back injury, went to the BCCI’s Center of Excellence. He, along with Rohit Sharma, was then declared fit to play in the three ODIs against Afghanistan. However, the all-rounder then picked up a late injury, ruling him out of the series. The BCCI has not named his replacement.
IND vs AFG, 1st ODI: Latest update on Hardik Pandya injury
The latest update on Hardik Pandya’s injury is that he suffered a late injury while training at the BCCI’s COE in Bengaluru. The star all-rounder had reported to the facility on June 2, putting his body through rigorous training regimes and intense match simulation. He also gained fitness to bowl 10 overs without any discomfort early on and received medical clearance from the Sports Science team. However, during the final high-intensity training session, the Mumbai Indians skipper suffered a sprain in his quadricep, ruling him out of the series.
IND vs AFG, 1st ODI: Who will replace Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya?
Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ishan Kishan could replace Virat Kohli at number three. While the choice of Hardik Pandya’s replacement in the playing XI remains straightforward, with Nitish Kumar Reddy all set to play the role of fast bowling all-rounder.
IND vs AFG, 1st ODI: India vs Afghanistan Predicted XIs
India Probable Playing XI: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav
Afghanistan Probable Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Allah Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami/Mohammad Saleem
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
