Virat Kohli Out, Rohit Sharma Next? India Suffer Big Blow Ahead of Afghanistan ODIs

Team India has suffered a massive blow ahead of the ODI series against Afghanistan. After Virat Kohli, veteran opener Rohit Sharma may also be ruled out of the entire series now.

Both Rohit and Kohli are amongst the greatest batsmen of all time and their absence will be hard to fulfill for any batter. While Kohli's absence for the IND vs AFG ODI series has been confirmed, India will have to look out for different options for the opening slot if Rohit misses out too.

Will Rohit Sharma Miss Afghanistan ODI Series?

According to the RevSportz journalist Subhayan Chakraborty, Rohit Sharma might miss the series along with Virat Kohli. This will mean that India will go for a different opening combination for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan.

Rohit also suffered a hamstring injury during IPL 2026, which kept him out of few games. Although he returned to play MI's last few games, the injury issues persisted with him. Rohit Sharma injury issues will force India to make some changes at the top.

Rohit is a key player for India as they prepare for the ODI World Cup 2027. The legendary opener carries loads of experience with him and can be an excellent prospect for the South African conditions, which provide bouncy wickets.

Since India do not play much ODIs now, the BCCI is looking at every game closely as they start preparing for the World Cup. Rohit, alongside Virat Kohli, does not play any other format, which makes this series even more important.

According to the IND vs AFG injury update, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are likely to be out of the series. Apart from them, Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the entire series after a hectic IPL season.

Rohit Sharma Next International Match

After the Afghanistan ODIs, Rohit's next international assignment will be the ODI series in England, starting from July 2026. It will be an important series for India against an English side, which is looking to rebuild their ODI team.

The right-hander aims to win the next year's ODI World Cup which he missed in the year 2023. While he has already achieved many things in his career, an ODI World Cup title win is still away from him.