Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma in frame. Image Credit: ANI
IND vs AFG ODI Series: The Indian national cricket team has received a major boost to its squad ahead of its three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. Former captain Rohit Sharma and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya have reportedly cleared their fitness tests. This comes as great news for the Shubman Gill-led side, which lost out on Virat Kohli, who has been ruled out of the series with a hamstring injury. Kohli has been replaced in the squad by Yashasvi Jaiswal. But it is expected that Rohit will retain the opening slot, while it is to be seen who bats at number three.
India cricket stars Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya are set to return to action in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan after clearing their fitness assessments, sources told ANI. According to the sources, both players have successfully passed their fitness tests and are expected to join the national squad shortly ahead of the series. “Hardik and Rohit are all set to play the ODI series against Afghanistan; both have cleared their fitness test and will soon join the team,” sources told ANI. Earlier, it was reported that senior players Rohit and Hardik’s participation in the ODI series against Afghanistan remains dependent on fitness clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE).
For those unversed, Rohit and Hardik sustained during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season while playing for the five-time champions Mumbai Indians. The veteran opener Sharma has been recovering from a lingering hamstring issue, while the star all-rounder is undergoing treatment for persistent back spasms that sidelined him during the latter stages of IPL 2026.
Meanwhile, ace batter Virat Kohli was ruled out due to a hamstring injury, which he sustained during the IPL 2026 final, where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully defended their title. Providing an update on the former India captain, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar said the exact recovery timeline is yet to be determined. “With Virat at this point, I think it’s just what has been less than a week since he injured himself in the final (IPL 2026), so they’ll probably assess. We don’t know the timelines yet, but it looks like he might be fit for that England ODI series. But again, it’s not a definitive answer, so don’t hold me to it. We haven’t had a clear timeline from the physio yet,” Agarkar said.
In place of Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been added to the ODI squad for the three-match series.
India are scheduled to face Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series beginning in Dharamsala on June 13. The second ODI will be played in Lucknow on June 17, while Chennai will host the final match on June 20.
India’s ODI Squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.
(With Agency Inputs)
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.
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