Virat Kohli suffers injury setback; to miss India-Afghanistan ODIs

New Delhi: India batter Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the upcoming One-Day International series against Afghanistan after suffering a hamstring injury.

The three-match ODI series is scheduled to begin on June 13 in Dharamsala.

A Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source confirmed that Kohli will not be available for the series due to the injury.

"He is out of the ODI series due to a hamstring injury," the source said.

Injury setback follows impressive IPL campaign

The injury comes shortly after Kohli enjoyed a highly successful Indian Premier League season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

The 37-year-old played a key role in the franchise's title-winning campaign, helping RCB secure a second consecutive championship. He also scored the winning runs in the final against Gujarat Titans.

Kohli finished the tournament with 675 runs, including one century and five half-centuries, as he continued to adapt and evolve his T20 approach.

Absence likely to impact fan interest

Kohli's absence is expected to be a major blow to the series from both a cricketing and commercial perspective.

Although the former India captain now plays only ODI cricket for the national team, he remains one of the sport's biggest attractions and continues to draw large audiences around the world.

Known for maintaining exceptional fitness standards throughout his career, Kohli has rarely missed matches because of injury.

Rohit Sharma's availability also under watch

There is also uncertainty surrounding the availability of India captain Rohit Sharma for the entire Afghanistan series.

The opener was named in the squad subject to fitness after dealing with a hamstring issue that affected his participation during the IPL season.

Team management is expected to monitor his condition closely ahead of the series.

Future of senior stars remains a talking point

Since Kohli and Rohit retired from Test cricket last year, there has been continued speculation about their long-term future in the ODI format.

India's next major 50-over assignment is the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in South Africa, scheduled for October and November 2027.

Selectors are expected to make decisions on both players based on their form and fitness in the lead-up to the tournament.

Series schedule

The opening ODI between India and Afghanistan will be played in Dharamsala on June 13.

The second match is scheduled for June 17 in Lucknow, while the third and final ODI will take place in Chennai on June 20.

Following the Afghanistan series, India will travel to England for a three-match ODI series beginning on July 14.

Agency inputs