Explained: Why Virat Kohli is not playing the first ODI vs Afghanistan in Dharamsala

NEW DELHI: Team India, led by Shubman Gill, are each acceptable to statesman their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup with a three-match ODI bid against Afghanistan, starting astatine the HPCA Stadium successful Dharamsala connected Saturday.India caput into the bid brimming with assurance aft signaling their biggest-ever Test triumph - an innings and 300-run demolition of Afghanistan successful the one-off Test successful Mullanpur earlier this week.

However, the hosts volition beryllium without 1 of their biggest stars, Virat Kohli.

Why is Virat Kohli not playing against Afghanistan?

Kohli has been ruled retired of the three-match ODI bid owed to a hamstring injury. The wounded comes astatine a clip erstwhile the erstwhile India skipper has been successful outstanding signifier successful the 50-over format.Having retired from T20 Internationals successful 2024 and Test cricket successful 2025, Kohli has shifted his implicit absorption to ODI cricket. The determination has paid affluent dividends, with the seasoned batter continuing to predominate attacks astir the world.Since the commencement of 2025, Kohli has scored 891 ODI runs astatine an awesome mean of 68.53, including 4 centuries and 5 half-centuries. He carried that signifier into 2026 arsenic well, scoring 240 runs successful conscionable 3 matches against New Zealand.

The batting large besides enjoyed a prolific 2025 season, amassing 651 runs successful ODIs with 3 centuries and 4 fifties to his name.India are scheduled to play 20 ODIs earlier the commencement of 2027, opening with the Afghanistan series, making Kohli's fittingness a cardinal interest for the squad management.The Indian campy volition beryllium hoping that Kohli recovers successful clip for the important ODI circuit of England adjacent month. India are scheduled to play a three-match ODI bid successful England from July 14 to July 19.

India vs Afghanistan ODI Series Schedule

India vs Afghanistan squads:

India Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince YadavAfghanistan Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil(w), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Darwish Rasooli, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi