Less than two weeks after the IPL 2026 wraps up, the Indian players barely catch a breath before diving into a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. The action starts this Saturday in Dharamsala. Rohit Sharma got the green light from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and will play, but Virat Kohli is out with an injury. That means Rohit will probably open the batting alongside India captain Shubman Gill. Now, the big question—who takes Kohli’s spot at number three? Right now, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan are the main contenders.
Aakash Chopra, the former India batter, thinks Kishan is the guy for the job. On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “He’s basically got luck on his side these days. Every time there’s an opening, somehow it’s Ishan Kishan who steps in. He shows up, grabs his chance, puts up runs, and proves himself. He just has a habit of doing that.”
Meanwhile, Team India suffered a big blow on Wednesday. Hardik Pandya is out of the Afghanistan series after picking up a fresh quadriceps strain. He was at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, trying to get cleared for a back spasm he picked up while playing for Mumbai Indians during the IPL. According to PTI, this new injury probably came from him bowling his full quota of 10 overs during his assessment.
The ODI series has games lined up in Dharamsala, Lucknow, and then Chennai on June 17 and 20. A source from the BCCI told PTI, “With three weeks set aside for recovery, there’s just no way Hardik will be fit in time—his rehab simply won’t be done.”
Pandya had already missed a good chunk of the IPL for Mumbai Indians but did come back for the last couple of games. This latest setback couldn’t have come at a worse time. At 32, he’s being pushed to play more ODIs
