India enter the first ODI against Afghanistan at Dharamshala on June 13 carrying notable injury concerns but with renewed optimism following Rohit Sharma’s return to fitness. Having demolished Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs in the one-off Test last week, Shubman Gill’s side will look to carry that dominant form into the 50-over format.
Rohit Returns, Kohli and Pandya Absent
The biggest injury blow came on Wednesday when all-rounder Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the entire three-match series due to a fresh quadriceps strain. The cruel twist was that the injury occurred just hours after he was initially cleared to play, reportedly stemming from bowling his full 10-over quota during a fitness assessment at the Centre of Excellence.
“With three weeks for recovery, there is absolutely no chance of him playing the ODI series as his rehabilitation will not be complete,” a BCCI source told PTI.
The setback is particularly significant given that team management has been actively building Pandya back into the ODI setup ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup. The BCCI is yet to name a replacement for the 32-year-old.
Virat Kohli remains sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained in the IPL finals, with Yashasvi Jaiswal drafted in as his cover. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar offered a cautious update on Kohli’s timeline at a press conference at BCCI headquarters.
“With Virat, at this point, it’s just been less than a week since he injured himself in the finals. We will assess him but we don’t know the timelines yet,” Agarkar told reporters.
Agarkar hinted at a possible return for the England ODI series in July but stopped short of any firm commitment.
“Yashasvi will be his replacement. But it looks like he might be fit for that England one-day series in July but again, it’s not a definitive answer. So, don’t hold me to it. I haven’t had a clear timeline from the physio yet,” he added.
On a positive note, Rohit Sharma has been cleared by the BCCI Sports Science unit after a right hamstring issue kept him out of five consecutive IPL games for Mumbai Indians. He is expected to take his place at the top of the order alongside captain Gill.
India’s Predicted XI vs Afghanistan, 1st ODI
With Kohli and Pandya unavailable, India’s predicted lineup features Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill opening the batting, followed by Ishan Kishan at number three. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul anchor the middle order, with Nitish Kumar Reddy providing the all-round balance in the lower order. Washington Sundar adds another all-round option alongside specialist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The pace attack is led by Arshdeep Singh and has Prince Yadav and Prasidh Krishna.
Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.
Series Schedule
The three-match series opens in Dharamshala on June 13 at 1:30 PM IST, before moving to Lucknow on June 17 and Chennai on June 20, both at the same start time.
How to Watch
The series will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network across India. Fans can also stream every match live on JioHotstar via the application or official website.
