Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been officially ruled out of the IND vs AFG ODI series starting on 13th June. The 37-year-old injured his hamstring while batting in the IPL 2026 finals, where he scored 75 not out for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The veteran batter was seen struggling to take singles during the closing stages of the game, where he was named player of the match.

Atul Wassan, the former Indian pacer, was seemingly happy that Virat would not be playing the three-match ODI series. Speaking to ANI, the 58-year-old said, “I am actually happy that Virat isn’t playing this series. It would have been an overkill for him to play every series before the 2027 ODI World Cup.”

The former India star also added, “He has played a lot of cricket in the IPL, and then being part of this series in such hot weather conditions, could have had a toll on his body. It is a very practical decision to give this series a miss.” The former skipper could be in line for a return to the side when the Men in Blue play three ODI games against England in July.

Yashasvi Jaiswal named as Kohli’s replacement

Young Indian batter Yashasvi Jaiswal was drafted as the replacement player, despite rumours suggesting that Ruturaj Gaikwad was the frontline choice. The 24-year-old last played the fifty-over format against South Africa in Vizag, where he was named player of the match for his unbeaten 116-run knock.

Wassan, when speaking about Jaiswal, said, “India has huge talent reserves, and we can see that with Jaiswal replacing Kohli in the team. It is a win-win situation for India if a player like Jaiswal, who doesn’t get to play too much ODI cricket, is selected. So Virat not playing this series doesn’t bother me and in fact makes me feel happy.”

The first ODI is to be played in Dharamsala on 13th June, with the second ODI to be hosted by Lucknow on 17th June. The final game of the series will be played at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on the 20th of June.