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3 Players to Replace Virat Kohli in Team India ODI Squad: The Indian cricket team has suffered a major blow ahead of the upcoming home ODI series against Afghanistan (Afghanistan tour of India 2026). Star batsman Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the entire series due to a hamstring injury.
Kohli sustained this injury during Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) title-winning campaign in the 2026 edition of the IPL. Although he played a match-winning, unbeaten knock of 75 runs in the tournament's final, he picked up the injury during that very innings.
The BCCI is now on the lookout for a replacement for him in the ODI squad. However, filling the void left by a legend like 'King Kohli' is an incredibly daunting task for any selector. Nevertheless, with the upcoming series in mind, three formidable players stand out as the leading contenders to replace him in this ODI series. Let's take a closer look at these players:
3 Players Who Could Replace Virat Kohli in IND vs AFG ODIs
3. Ruturaj Gaikwad
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Ruturaj Gaikwad is currently emerging as the strongest contender to take Virat Kohli's spot in India's ODI squad for the series against Afghanistan. This batsman from Maharashtra possesses excellent versatility, capable of batting at various positions. Furthermore, the magnificent century he recently scored in ODI cricket, while batting alongside Kohli, serves as a testament to his form and class. Although his performance for Chennai in the 2026 IPL may not have been particularly remarkable or up to expectations, his ability and technique in the ODI format remain exceptionally robust.
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2. Rajat Patidar
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Rajat Patidar, who has consistently delivered strong performances for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket and for RCB in the IPL, is also firmly in the race. Patidar has piled up runs across both red-ball and white-ball formats in domestic cricket. His greatest asset is his versatility, which makes him a valuable batsman capable of contributing across all formats for India.
Since playing just one international match against South Africa in December 2023, he hasn't received many opportunities; however, the selectors might consider giving this formidable batsman another chance.1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
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The young left-handed opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal has emerged as a strong contender to step into Kohli's shoes in the ODI format. Although Yashasvi has played only four ODIs so far, he has already amassed 171 runs at an impressive average of 57.00. This tally includes a magnificent century scored on his debut match in February 2025. Given that he is already well-acquainted with the Team India environment, he remains a natural and reliable choice for the selectors.
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