Why Virat Kohli is not playing India's ODI series against Afghanistan?

Team India stalwart Virat Kohli would miss out of the India vs Afghanistan ODI series, with the first 50-over match taking place at the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Saturday.

Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the Indian vs Afghanistan one-day series. Image: AFP

FirstCricket Staff|Jun 13, 2026, 17:32:30 IST

India will start their ODI series against Afghanistan in Dharamsala on Saturday. The three-match series is seen as an important step in building combinations and giving chances to younger players ahead of a busy international calendar.

Also Read | India vs Afghanistan LIVE Score, 1st ODI at Dharamsala

Virat Kohli will not be part of the ODI series as he has been ruled out due to injury. The senior batter suffered a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 final, which has forced him to miss the important international assignment.

Virat Kohli ruled out, Jaiswal named as replacement

The injury happened at a crucial moment in the IPL final, and after medical checks, the team management decided it was better for Kohli to rest and recover fully instead of rushing him back into action. As a result, he has officially been left out of the ODI squad.

Team India win toss, opt to bowl first in Dharamshala

Team India won the toss, with skipper Shubman Gill opting to bowl first in Dharamshala. Rain has curtailed the opening ODI to a 25-over-a-side contest, and the Men in Blue handed maiden caps to youngsters Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey.

Captain Gill believes the overcast conditions would help the bowlers, expecting seam movement in the initial overs.

"It's a little overcast, so I think it will help the bowlers. There could also be some rain around the corner, so we want to bowl first. As for the surface, it looks very good. I think it's going to be a good wicket to bat on. In the initial overs, there might be some seam movement, but after the breeze dies down, I think it's going to be a really good wicket," Gill said at the toss.

India Playing XI: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.

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