IND vs AFG: Just when Indian cricket fans were trying to come to terms with the shocking news of Virat Kohli being ruled out of the upcoming three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury, the team management has been hit by a massive new crisis. A major bombshell has emerged with fresh reports claiming that former Indian captain and star opener Rohit Sharma is now a major doubt for the upcoming white-ball assignment.The road to recovery of the opening batsman has hit an unexpected speed bump in a very revealing report by senior sports journalist Abhishek Tripathi of Jagran.
Running Trouble and Missing Clearances
The bottom line is an assessment of Rohit’s recent physical training. There have been reports coming in since yesterday evening that Rohit Sharma had a lot of difficulty while doing high intensity running drills. These obvious physical restrictions have seen the experienced batsman given clear instructions from experts to take a step back and focus explicitly on his running biomechanics and lower-body conditioning before he even attempts to get back to match-day workloads.
कल शाम तक कि रिपोर्ट….
रोहित शर्मा को रनिंग की दिक्कत थी। उनसे रनिंग पर काम करने को कहा गया है। जब उनकी सीओए से फिटनेस रिपोर्ट आ जाएगी तब वह वनडे टीम में शामिल हो जाएंगे। कल तक वह सीओए नहीं पहुंचे थे।#indiancricket— Abhishek Tripathi / अभिषेक त्रिपाठी (@abhishereporter) June 5, 2026
In addition, administrative and logistical delays have further complicated the situation. While it was clear that Rohit’s selection in the initial list was subject to medical clearance, it has now emerged that he had not even reached BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (formerly the NCA) in Bengaluru till yesterday evening for his mandatory tests. The BCCI selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar has categorically made it clear that Rohit will only be allowed to join the ODI squad after he submits his official fitness certificate and it is duly approved by the medical board.
A Strained Top Order for India
And the timing of this update could not be worse for India. Rohit, who has now dropped T20I and Test cricket and plays only the 50-over format, is the lynchpin at the top of the order.With Kohli already out of action, the loss of Rohit would leave the Indian batting line-up without its two most experienced pillars just days ahead of the first ODI in Dharamshala. In the event that the first-choice skipper does not get his fitness clearance in time, selectors are expected to look at young dynamic options like Yashasvi Jaiswal to step in and steady the ship. Now, the BCCI medical team will have to wait nervously for Rohit to arrive for his definitive fitness test.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
