India chief selector Ajit Agarkar has given an update on Virat Kohli’s injury, confirming that the batsman will miss the upcoming Afghanistan ODI series but may return for the England tour. Speaking at the press conference, Agarkar said: “Virat was injured in the IPL final. We don’t know the schedule but it looks like he might be fit for the England series.”
Kohli suffered a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 final on May 31, as he remained unbeaten on 75 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and helped them win back-to-back IPL titles while visibly suffering from discomfort. What was initially thought to be cramps has now been confirmed to be a hamstring problem.He has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, which begins on June 13 in Dharamshala, with matches also scheduled in Lucknow and Chennai.
In his absence, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a hundred against South Africa in his last ODI appearance, has been named as his replacement. Kohli had a fantastic season in IPL 2026, scoring 675 runs in 16 matches at an average of 56.25 and a career-best strike rate of 165.85.India’s next ODI assignment will be the England series starting on July 14. Agarkar added that Kohli could be fit for the ODI in England and his availability will depend on how his recovery progresses over the coming weeks.
India ODI lineup against Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma*, Yashavi Jaiswal,
Shreyas Iyer
(vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya*, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey. Availability of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya is subject to fitness.