- Virat Kohli reportedly out of Afghanistan ODIs due to hamstring issue.
- Series begins June 13 in Dharamshala.
- BCCI yet to officially confirm injury and announce replacement.
Virat Kohli India ODI Replacement: India look to have been dealt a major setback ahead of the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan, with Virat Kohli reportedly ruled out due to a hamstring injury. According to PTI, a BCCI source stated, “He is out of the ODI series due to a hamstring injury.” The first of the three matches is set to be played on June 13 in Dharamshala. With one of themost experienced batsmen unavailable, the top order would need some reinforcement. While nothing has been confirmed officially so far, here are three players who could potentially step in for Kohli during the IND vs AFG ODI series.
IND vs AFG ODIs: Kohli’s Potential Replacement
1) Priyansh Arya
Priyansh Arya was one of IPL 2026’s most explosive openers. Representing Punjab Kings, he smashed 364 runs in 13 matches and could slot right in at the top of the order, forming a left-right batting combination with Rohit Sharma.
Shubman Gill, the captain, is generally seen opening the innings in ODI and T20 cricket, but he could, in that case, drop down to number three like he does in Test cricket to accommodate for the change.
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2) Devdutt Padikkal
Devdutt Padikkal had a pretty decent outing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, scoring 464 runs in 16 matches for the franchise in a title-winning run.
He has regularly occupied the No. 3 position for RCB, the same role Virat Kohli typically plays for India in ODIs, and will also be part of the senior squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan scheduled just before the ODI series.
3) Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson has been in great touch of late, first helping India lift the ICC T20 World Cup, and then performing consistently for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026.
While these were played in a different format, the CSK wicketkeeper-batsman has represented India in ODIs before. Just like Priyansh Arya, he can open the innings for India, with Gill going down a spot in the batting order.
