Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to replace the injured Virat Kohli for India's three-match One Day International (ODI) series against Afghanistan, which starts on June 13. According to the Indian Express, the Chennai Super Kings captain is the likely replacement and will leave his duties with the India A setup.
Kohli's injury comes as a huge setback for India ahead of their busy international season. The right-handed batter damaged his hamstring during the 2026 Indian Premier League final on May 31 and is expected
to sit out of the home series against Afghanistan to be fit and ready for the tour to England in July.
Gaikwad is the ideal player to come and step in place of the former India captain in the ODI squad. The 29-year-old scored his maiden ODI century in the last series in which he was a part of, hitting 105 from just 83 in the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur.
Gaikwad, however, was poised to travel to Sri Lanka with the India A squad for a Tri-Nations series as an injury replacement for Riyan Parag and was also named as the vice captain. According to the aforementioned source, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's two-time IPL-winning captain Rajat Patidar will take Gaikwad's place in the A squad, while the Maharashtra batter joins the senior side.
It is worth mentioning that Patidar has a previous international exposure, but has not featured for India since the 2024 Test series against England. Some solid performances with India A could put his name amongst the selection hat.
Apart from Kohli, there are also question marks surrounding the availability of Rohit Sharma for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan. The opening batter also struggled with his hamstring during the recently concluded IPL and missed a few matches. The Champions Trophy-winning captain will be required to pass a fitness test to be in contention for selection.
India return to international cricket on Saturday, June 6, where they play a one-off Test match against Afghanistan, before competing in a three-match ODI series against the same opposition.
India vs Afghanistan 2026 Schedule:
| Match | Date | Time (IST) | Venue |
| Only Test | June 06-10 | 9:30 AM | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium, New Chandigarh |
| First ODI | June 14 | 1:30 PM | HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala |
| Second ODI | June 17 | 1:30 PM | Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium, Lucknow |
| Third ODI | June 20 | 1:30 PM | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
![[Watch] Utkarsha Pawar outwits Ruturaj Gaikwad in entertaining nets challenge](https://glance-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/cardpress/binge-magazine-card-generation/spaces/IN/en/crictracker-spaces/images/ppid_49c02804-image-178057010861960197.webp)
