Kohli scored 675 runs in IPL 2026 at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165, including a century and five half-centuries
His unbeaten 75 off 42 balls in the IPL final guided RCB to a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans with 12 balls to spare
Rohit Sharma's availability for the Afghanistan series is also uncertain following an injury sustained during the IPL
India's preparations for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan have suffered a major blow, with star batter Virat Kohli ruled out of all three matches due to a hamstring injury. According to PTI, a BCCI source confirmed that Kohli sustained the injury during the IPL 2026 final, where he was visibly hobbling between the wickets even as he batted through the pain.
The three-match series begins on June 13 in Dharamsala, and with Kohli unavailable, India also face a nervous wait over Rohit Sharma's fitness, the veteran opener was included in the squad on the condition that he would play depending on his physical readiness following an injury suffered during the IPL campaign. The twin fitness concerns cast a shadow over what should have been a straightforward assignment for the hosts.
Rohit's Status and the Bigger Picture
With both Kohli and Rohit's participation uncertain, the Afghanistan series now presents both a headache and an opportunity for India's selectors and team management. The absence of two of India's most experienced ODI batters opens the door for younger players to step up and stake a claim for places in what is a World Cup cycle that will only intensify in the months ahead.
The series also carries context beyond the immediate result, India's ODI squad is in a state of transition, with the 2027 ODI World Cup beginning to loom on the horizon. How the middle order responds in the absence of senior stars will be closely observed by Agarkar's selection panel.
Virat Kohli's IPL 2026 Performance
The cruel irony of Kohli's situation is that his form in IPL 2026 was nothing short of magnificent. Across 16 innings, Kohli amassed 675 runs at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165, with a highest score of 105 not out, five half-centuries and a century.
In the final against Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad, with RCB chasing 156, Kohli produced a masterclass, scoring 75 not out off 42 balls, bringing up his fifty in just 25 balls, his fastest ever in IPL cricket, to guide RCB to victory by five wickets with 12 balls to spare.
Kohli ended IPL 2026 as the fourth-highest run-scorer overall, finishing just behind teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 776 runs, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. The hamstring injury that now rules him out of the Afghanistan series appears to be a direct consequence of playing through pain in the final.
