Virat Kohli Set to Miss IND vs AFG? Ruturaj Gaikwad Leads Race For Team India Comeback, Rajat Patidar in Focus

India ODI Squad: Rajat Patidar could be in the running for the India A side, which is traveling to Sri Lanka for a tri-series and Afghanistan. But, Ruturaj Gaikwad will be the one to replace Virat Kohli in India’s three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. A hamstring injury he got during Sunday’s IPL final match is the reason why Kohli has been ruled out of the series with Afghanistan that kicks off on June 14 in Dharamsala. So, the senior Selection committee will have to make some last-minute changes. Even though Kohli might be fit for the last ODI on June 20, the selectors will hardly pick him for the series, which comprises three ODIs only. Kohli has even been reportedly advised to rest for at least two weeks.

Ruturaj Gaikwad was one of the names suggested by the selection panel to replace Riyan Parag, who got injured during IPL, in the India A squad. The official declaration is expected very soon.

IND vs AFG: Has Virat Kohli been ruled out of India vs Afghanistan series?

Yes, according to the latest PTI report, Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the India vs Afghanistan ODI series. The star batter is set to miss three games after picking up a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 final. Kohli seemed to be playing comfortably even in the final innings, but new tests have revealed that he is hampered by a hamstring injury. The Indian batsman will need to time his comeback perfectly since he has been advised to take it a bit easy for a couple of weeks. Besides that, the Men in Blue have a heavy schedule of One-Day Internationals coming up. Kohli could be seen in action during the Indian team’s trip to England in July, for a white-ball series, which will comprise three ODIs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad to replace Virat Kohli

Should Virat Kohli not be able to recover from the hamstring injury in time, Ruturaj Gaikwad has emerged as the favorite to be selected in India’s ODI team for the next three-match series against Afghanistan. In the meantime, Gaikwad’s elevation could have the potential of rewarding him with a selection in the India A side for the forthcoming Sri Lanka tour. Replacing Gaikwad with Rajat Patidar is also on the cards as per the same report. Following his captaincy stint of Royal Challengers Bangalore, the selectors reportedly took note of Patidar’s leadership skills and consistency in batting, plus an element of surprise in his game, which helped him clinch two successive IPL titles with RCB. The tri-series starts on June 9 with the participation of three teams: Afghanistan A, Sri Lanka A, and India A.

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