India bowling coach Morne Morkel has eased concerns surrounding Rohit Sharma’s fitness ahead of the primary ODI against Afghanistan in Dharamsala on June 13. The veteran opener had suffered a hamstring injury during IPL 2026, which ruled him out of 5 matches.
With questions raised over his fitness before the Afghanistan series, Morkel confirmed ahead of the opener that Rohit is fully fit and available for selection. Speaking throughout the pre-match press conference, Morkel addressed Rohit Sharma’s availability for the primary ODI.
“He’s passed all his fitness tests. He’s cleared and able to go. Obviously, the balls are coming at high speeds, and you must protect yourself, even when there’s a slight niggle. But I can assure you there’s nothing unsuitable. Rohit is moving well and training well. So excited to see him go.”
He further added:
“All the time nice to have his experience back as well. Just the calmness that he brings to the dressing room is at all times a positive to have. He’s training well, he’s moving well. So I do know that he’s also excited to go.”
Rohit last represented India throughout the home ODI series against Recent Zealand earlier this yr in January.
Morne Morkel Hints at Flexible No.3 Options After Virat Kohli’s Exit from ODI Setup
Morne Morkel also spoke about India’s No.3 position for the Afghanistan ODI series within the absence of injured Virat Kohli. He revealed that the team is more likely to rotate KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan and Yashasvi Jaiswal within the role.
“By way of that number three slot, that’s something that on this series we’ll mess around with. Even when it’s Ishan or KL or Yashasvi, it’s a pleasant opportunity now. We’ve got a few one-day games coming up, and we’ll give guys opportunity in numerous slots. Just to offer ourselves a greater idea when it comes to how we will go and structure the team and have different options,” said Morkel (via the aforementioned source).
Kohli suffered a hamstring injury throughout the IPL 2026 final, where he played a key role in helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru secure back-to-back titles.
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