India Issue Official Statement On Virat Kohli's Replacement At Number 3 Vs Afghanistan

India Issue Official Statement On Virat Kohli's Replacement [Source: AFP]

Ahead of the first ODI between India and Afghanistan, bowling coach Morne Morkel addressed the media at Dharamsala and dropped hints on who will replace injured Virat Kohli at no. 3.

Kohli was ruled out of the ODI series vs Afghanistan after suffering from a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 final. 

He is likely to spend a few weeks in recovery and might report to the BCCI CoE for further checkups and assessment.

India open to experiments at No.3

That being said, with Virat Kohli ruled out of the India vs Afghanistan ODI series, the crucial no. 3 spot is up for grabs. During a press interview, bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted that Kohli’s absence is a huge loss.

“Obviously, a big miss, you know, with Virat. He’s one of the senior players, the leaders in the team. The way that he goes about his innings, you know, in that middle phase especially, is something that we will miss,” Morne Morkel told reporters.

However, he confirmed that India doesn't have a fixed replacement ready for Kohli yet at no. 3. Instead of naming one successor, the management wants to test multiple players in the role.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul are a few contenders who could be used at no. 3 across the three ODIs rather than sticking with one option. 

“In terms of that number three slot, I think that’s something in this series we’ll play around with, you know. Even if it’s Ishan or KL or Yashasvi, it’s a nice opportunity now. We’ve got a couple of one-day games coming up, and we’ll give guys an opportunity in different slots just to give ourselves a better idea in terms of how we can go and structure teams and have different options,” he added.

Kohli likely to be fit for England ODIs

Meanwhile, Team India won’t be missing Virat Kohli for too long. Previously, it was reported that the veteran batter was suffering from a distal semimembranosus tendon tear in his lower hamstring, which would ideally take about 6 weeks to heal.

However, according to the latest reports, the injury is not as serious as previously assumed. Kohli is expected to recover within the timeline set and might be available to play the ODI series against England.

India will tour England for the T20I and ODI series in July. The ODI leg will begin on July 14, and Virat Kohli is likely to regain full fitness by then. Still, all these updates are conjecture, as the BCCI is yet to officially confirm anything.

India’s likely XI vs Afghanistan

Meanwhile, coming back to the Afghanistan ODI, India is expected to field a full-strength squad for the first game. Shubman Gill will lead as captain while Rohit Sharma will open with him.

At no. 3, Ishan Kishan is likely to get a chance, followed by Shreyas Iyer at no. 4 and KL Rahul at no. 5. Since Hardik Pandya is ruled out, Washington Sundar and Nitish Reddy will get a chance.

As for bowlers, Harsh Dubey and Prince Yadav may get their debut caps, while Arshdeep Singh could likely lead the pace attack. Kuldeep Yadav is likely to be India’s lead spinner alongside Sundar.

India's predicted XI vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Prince Yadav

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