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According to the latest reports, former India captain Virat Kohli is set to play in India’s home ODI series against Afghanistan next month. All India Senior Men Selection Committee headed by Ajit Agarkar.
They are set to meet in Guwahati on Tuesday to choose India’s squad for the one-off Test and three ODIs to be played against Afghanistan in June. Apart from Kohli, many other players are likely to be a part of the formal and informal discussions between the selectors.
Virat Kohli stranded, selector cautious of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah
While Virat Kohli has strengthened his case for the ODI berth with another stellar IPL season, the selectors are said to be cautious about Rohit Sharma.
Rohit suffered a toe injury in IPL 2026 on April 12 when his Mumbai Indians played against Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore. Since then, he also suffered a hamstring injury, which delayed his return to the field. As a result, Rohit has played only 7 of his team’s 12 matches in the IPL this year.
Now it is being said that the selectors have adopted a cautious approach regarding Rohit’s return to the Indian team. Both Kohli and Rohit have retired from both Tests and T20Is and now play only ODIs.
Even for MI in the IPL, Rohit plays mostly as an impact player and hence, does not always field the full 20 overs. The selectors now seem to be worried about his ability to field the full 50 overs in ODIs.
Due to the short turnaround between the IPL and the Afghanistan series, the selectors are also reported to be cautious on the return of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah has faced major injury problems in the past, and with the limited-overs tour of England scheduled next month, the selectors are unlikely to risk him for this series.
Padikkal, Samson, Prince and Auqib on the agenda
The selectors are reportedly ready to discuss Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah and many other players.
According to reports, the selectors are considering many tough decisions. Names of many players have emerged for both the teams. It seems the selectors are considering Devdutt Padikkal for the No. 3 spot in Test cricket after being dissatisfied with Sai Sudarshan’s inconsistency.
Similarly, the selectors are also not happy with Rishabh Pant. Sanju Samson is likely to replace Pant as the backup wicketkeeper in the ODI team. KL Rahul is currently India’s first choice behind the stumps in 50-over cricket.
There were reports that Shreyas Iyer would take over the captaincy in both ODIs and T20s, but that doesn’t seem to be happening yet.
Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi is reportedly set to make his Test debut after playing a key role in Jammu and Kashmir’s maiden Ranji Trophy win earlier this year. There is also speculation about Mohammed Shami’s return to the Test team.
After impressing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and IPL this year, fast bowler Prince Yadav is also likely to get a place in the ODI team.
India vs Afghanistan series schedule
After the IPL final on May 31, India will host Afghanistan for three ODIs and one Test match in June. The one-off Test will be held at the Maharaja Yadvendra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur from June 6.
The ODI matches, which both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will play, will start from June 14. The first match will be held in Dharamshala, the second in Lucknow on June 17 and the third in Chennai on June 20.
Also read: Mohammed Shami, Sanju Samson ready to return to Team India during Afghanistan series