Despite a commanding IPL 2026 campaign, India wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul went unsold at the Maharaja T20 Trophy auction held on June 5. The tournament, formerly known as the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, is set to get underway from June 20, and with no retention policy in place this season, all players went under the hammer afresh. Rahul was among the most anticipated names heading into the auction, yet not a single one of the six participating franchises placed a bid on him.

Reason Revealed

The reason behind his unsold status had nothing to do with form and everything to do with availability. Following a two-month IPL 2026 campaign with Delhi Capitals, Rahul is currently preparing for the one-off Test match against Afghanistan, in which he has been named vice-captain. The Afghanistan ODI series follows immediately after, and with India’s tour of England lined up the month after that, Rahul is looking to manage his workload carefully across three consecutive months of international cricket. His uncertain availability for the Maharaja T20 Trophy window meant franchises chose not to invest in him.

KL Rahul has gone unsold in some random Maharaja T20 League.

Remember, in 2022 he turned down the chance to captain CSK and chose the shiny new project at LSG instead.

Rahul is struggling to find buyers.

Cricket has a funny way of settling scores. pic.twitter.com/MJlT0w8nX9
— Brutal Truth (@sarkarstix) June 5, 2026

Rahul’s IPL 2026 heroics

Interestingly, both Rahul and Prasidh Krishna had their names highlighted in the auction to indicate their likely unavailability for the season. However, while Rahul went unsold, Mysore Warriors moved quickly to secure Prasidh Krishna for just Rs 2.6 lakh. Rahul’s IPL 2026 numbers made his auction outcome all the more surprising on paper. Across 14 matches for Delhi Capitals, he scored 593 runs at an average exceeding 45 and at a strike rate of approximately 175, a figure that has long been a topic of debate around his T20 game but which he emphatically addressed this season. The standout moment of his IPL campaign was a stunning innings of 152, which stands as the highest score ever recorded by an Indian batter in T20 cricket.

With the IPL now behind him, Rahul’s complete focus has shifted to the Afghanistan series and the international assignments that follow.

India vs Afghanistan One-Off Test Match Squads

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Devdutt Padikkal, Manav Suthar

Afghanistan: Abdul Malik, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Afsar Zazai (WK), Sharafuddin Ashraf, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Nangeyalia Kharote, Rahmanullah, Sediqullah Atal, Ikram Alikhil

Virat Kohli has been ruled out of Afghanistan ODI series due to an hamstring injury. While BCCI is yet to formally announce the status of his injury and his replacement according to reports he is advised for 2-3 weeks rest. After Afghnaistan ODI series, India is scheduled to play England and for the righ-hand batter it is touch n go regarding that series

Rare Tear

According to information from news agency, the specific physical issue troubling Virat Kohli is identified as a distal semimembranosus tendon tear. This particular condition is an anomaly seldom encountered among competitive athletes. The veteran batsman sustained this physical impairment during his unbeaten innings of 75 runs while batting in the IPL 2026 championship match held in Ahmedabad.

To understand the anatomy, this specific condition involves a rupture in one of the three primary hamstring muscles at the precise location where it connects to the reverse side of the knee joint, specifically at the inner upper section of the tibia. Functionally, this particular muscle is responsible for enabling the knee to flex and allowing the hip to extend backward.

Why This Specific Muscle Tear is Extensively Unusual

From a biomechanical standpoint, this type of damage is extraordinarily uncommon due to two primary factors.

Location of the Tear: The immense majority of hamstring injuries are sustained much higher up the leg. They typically occur either right at the muscle tendon intersection located in the middle of the thigh, or at the upper proximal attachment point close to the hip area when a player experiences sudden, intense overstretching, such as during high speed sprinting.

Tendon Structure: The connective tissue that anchors this particular muscle to the knee area is thick, broad, and deeply embedded into the bone structure across several distinct points. This heavily reinforced anatomical design makes the tissue incredibly resilient against snapping. Furthermore, on the uncommon occasions when lower hamstring injuries do materialize, they nearly always impact an entirely different muscle situated on the outer portion of the leg. Consequently, a rupture of this exact tendon is a highly irregular medical event.

“He is out of the ODI series due to a hamstring injury. He got injured during the final. Scans have revealed a distal semimembranosus tendon tear,” a BCCI source told PTI.

Expected Recovery Duration and Tournament Impact

Concurrently, a report from The Indian Express indicates that this physical setback is only projected to keep the batsman away from competitive action for a duration of two weeks. Translated into the upcoming cricket schedule, his absence will restrict him from participating exclusively in the opening pair of matches facing Afghanistan, which are set for June 13 in Dharamsala and June 17 in Lucknow. From a technical perspective, he would be clear to participate in the third fixture of the series. However, the publication highlighted that the Board of Control for Cricket in India is hesitant to gamble with his health by rushing him back.

From the moment he debuted on the international stage back in 2008, there has been no documented case of Kohli missing a complete bilateral series or a significant tournament for the national team solely because of an injury. Across nearly twenty years of intense, high stakes cricket, his precise management of physical workloads and elite level conditioning have enabled him to completely avoid the prolonged injury absences that have regularly disrupted the careers of his peers.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s successful defence of their IPL title in 2026 was built on several pillars – experienced players, a strong team culture, tactical clarity and fearless cricket. Yet, one of the lesser-known stories behind the IPL 2026 campaign was the role analytics played in helping captain Rajat Patidar elevate his game against some of the world’s most challenging bowlers.

Patidar enjoyed one of the finest seasons of his IPL career, scoring 501 runs in 14 innings at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 192.69, while smashing 42 sixes (third-most in the tournament) and 30 fours.

ALSO READ: 4 players Mumbai Indians might release after finishing 9th in IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya, Trent Boult and…

Rajat Patidar’s Power-Hitting Credentials

The 33-year-old Patidar also showcased his all-round power-hitting credentials this season, with 27 of his 42 sixes coming against pace bowling. His standout innings, a blistering 93 off 33 balls against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1, further highlighted that versatility, with seven of his nine sixes in the knock coming against pacers.

Yet, Patidar believes one of the biggest improvements in his batting came against spin.

“People always used to say I am a spin basher. But to be honest, picking the ball from their hands, the credit goes to Freddie because he helped me a lot,” said Patidar.

The RCB skipper revealed that he frequently worked with team’s analyst Freddie Wilde to prepare for some of the world’s best spinners.

“Four or five times in the IPL, I called Freddie. I needed videos of bowlers, especially spinners like Rashid, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. I wanted to understand the differences in their deliveries and where I could pick them from,” he said.

ALSO READ: Ruturaj Gaikwad set to replace injured Virat Kohli for Afghanistan ODIs; Rajat Patidar likely for India A squad

Mo Bobat Opens Up On RCB’s Decision-Making

Mo Bobat, Director of Cricket, RCB, explained the franchise’s decision-making approach and highlighted Freddie Wilde impact as an analyst.

“We don’t overly focus on data. But what we do share is a desire to have evidence-based decision making. If you want evidence to support your decisions, then you’re going to pay attention to the data that’s available to you,” said Bobat.

“He is able to manoeuvre between thinking like an analyst and also thinking and operating a bit like a coach. That’s quite nice territory when someone can do that. We can trust him in his communication with players and groups in a way that you might not always give analyst responsibilities,” he added.

Wilde’s influence extends beyond opposition analysis, playing a key role in auction preparation, squad construction, tactical planning and player development.

For Patidar, that support translated into greater confidence against elite spin bowling and clearer decision-making under pressure. 

England cricketer Liam Livingstone has made big claims about former India captain Virat Kohli, suggesting that the star batter does not enjoy the overwhelming attention he receives in India.

Livingstone, who shared the dressing room with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bengaluru during IPL 2025, spoke about the Indian icon’s contrasting personalities on and off the field. “He was amazing. I’d always played against Virat, and he’s always laughing. If you want to have a go at someone, he’ll have a go back at you. But on the field, he’s ultra-competitive,” Livingstone said on the Stick To Cricket podcast.

ALSO READ: Former India wicketkeeper retires at 32; pays emotional tribute to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid

‘Completely different person off the field’

Livingstone highlighted how Kohli transforms once he steps off the field, describing him as calm, relaxed and family-oriented. “As soon as he steps over that line, he’s a different person. But off the field, he is a really nice, chill guy, loves spending time with his family. Very chilled-out guy,” he added.

The England all-rounder also noted Kohli’s discomfort with constant public attention in India, where he remains one of the most followed sporting figures. “Almost like he doesn’t want the life he lives in India. He doesn’t really want the eye on him all the time. He is a genuinely nice guy,” Livingstone said.

Kohli’s life split between India and UK

Kohli, along with wife Anushka Sharma and their children, shifted to London in February 2024. While he continues to have strong ties to India through cricket and properties, he has been spending significant time in the United Kingdom.

Reports have often suggested that the move is linked to his desire for more privacy away from the constant spotlight in India.

RCB evolution under Mo Bobat and Andy Flower

Livingstone, who has now moved from RCB to Sunrisers Hyderabad, also credited RCB’s management for reshaping Kohli’s approach in recent seasons.

“Mo and Andy went in and changed the way he played. They were brave enough to do that,” he said.

He added that Kohli has become more aggressive in the powerplay and against spin, showing a more attacking mindset than earlier in his career.

His heroic knock of 75 off 42 deliveries proved fruitful as RCB secured back-to-back titles. He also won his first Player of the Match award in a final, as they defeated GT by 5 wickets. Virat Kohli’s tally now stands at 22 POTM awards, surpassing Rohit Sharma among Indian players.