Mumbai, June 5:
Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli was on Thursday ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury.
The three-match series begins on June 13 in Dharamsala.
“He is out of the ODI series due to a hamstring injury,” a BCCI source said.
Kohli, known for his unmatched fitness even at 37 years of age, was in stellar form in the recently-concluded IPL where he steered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a second consecutive title. He hit the winning the runs in the final against Gujarat Titans.
Reinventing his T20 game, Kohli amassed 675 runs in RCB’s triumphant campaign including a hundred and five fifty plus scores.
Kohli’s absence will take the sheen off the upcoming series.
Though the former India captain is now a one-format player, he remains a top draw for fans worldwide. It is extremely rare for Kohli to miss games due to an injury, given his exemplary fitness standards.
It also remains to be seen if Rohit Sharma is available for the whole series against Afghanistan. The opener was included in the squad subject to fitness after a hamstring injury affected his IPL appearances.
Ever since both Kohli and Rohit retired from Tests last year, there has been immense speculation on their ODI future. The next 50-over World Cup is scheduled in South Africa in October-November 2027 and they would be included in the squad as per their form and fitness leading up to the tournament.
The second ODI against Afghanistan will be played in Lucknow on June 17 and third in Chennai on June 20.
After Afghanistan series, India’s next ODI assignment will be in England — three games beginning from July 14.