New Delhi: The stage is set for the upcoming ODI series between India and Afghanistan. The two sides met at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh, for the only Test of the series, and after the conclusion of the Test match, the two sides will face off across three ODI matches.
The two sides will lock horns in Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Chennai on June 13, 17, and 20 for the ODI series, and ahead of the clashes, one of the biggest developments has been the exclusion of ace batter Virat Kohli from the ODI squad. While he was originally included, Kohli has not been removed from the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series owing to a hamstring injury.
Reflecting on the same, the Indian team’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar took centre stage and revealed that star batter Yashasvi Jaiswal will be replacing Virat Kohli in the ODI squad to take on Afghanistan. It is worth noting that Jaiswal has not been in the best of form, but he will be hoping to improve as the Indian team takes on Afghanistan.
Notably, Kohli injured his hamstring in the final of the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2026. Royal Challengers Bengaluru took on Gujarat Titans in the summit clash of the tournament at the Narendra Modi Stadium, and chasing down a target of 155 runs, it was the performance of Kohli that helped RCB win the game and lift their second straight IPL title.
Yashasvi Jaiswal will aim to forget ghosts of the past
Speaking of Yashasvi Jaiswal, the ace batter has been in subpar form of late, but he will hope to put in a good performance in the ODI series. In the 16 matches that he played for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026, Jaiswal scored 427 runs to his name and maintained an average of 30.5 runs.
It could be interesting to see how he fares for the Men in Blue as they take on Afghanistan in the ODI series, and with Kohli’s absence, the Indian team will have a major hole to fill in the upcoming matches.
