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Veteran India batter Virat Kohli is prone to miss the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury. Afghanistan are scheduled to play three ODIs in India from June 13 to June 20. Although Kohli was originally included within the squad, a report by India Today claims that the 37-year-old may very well be unavailable as a consequence of the injury.<\/span><\/p>\n Kohli was named Player of the Match within the IPL 2026 final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) on the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31. The star batter remained unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls, smashing nine fours and three sixes. Nonetheless, he seemed to be uncomfortable while running between the wickets through the match.<\/span><\/p>\n With reports suggesting that Kohli may miss the Afghanistan ODIs, listed below are three players who could replace the batting great in India\u2019s squad.<\/span><\/p>\n Sanju Samson is a powerful contender to interchange Virat Kohli in India\u2019s ODI squad for the Afghanistan series. The wicketkeeper-batter was unlucky to lose his place within the ODI team despite scoring a century against South Africa in Paarl in December 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n Samson played an outstanding knock of 108 runs from 114 balls in that match, but has not featured in an ODI for India since then. The 31-year-old also has form on his side. He enjoyed a superb IPL 2026 season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), scoring 477 runs in 14 innings at a mean of 43.36 and a powerful strike rate of 165.62.<\/span><\/p>\n His campaign included two centuries and one half-century. Before the IPL, Samson was also one in all India\u2019s standout performers through the latter stages of the T20 World Cup 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n Tilak Varma is one other player who may very well be regarded as Virat Kohli\u2019s alternative for the ODI series against Afghanistan. The left-handed batter made his ODI debut for India in September 2023 and has featured in just five matches to date. He has scored 68 runs at a mean of twenty-two.66 and a strike rate of 57.14. While those numbers are usually not very impressive, they arrive from a small variety of matches and will not reflect his true potential.<\/span><\/p>\n Now 23, Varma is a more experienced and assured player than when he first entered the ODI setup. He has the abilities and temperament needed to construct long innings within the 50-over format. The teen has also been in decent form recently. During IPL 2026, he scored 359 runs in 14 innings for Mumbai Indians (MI) at a strike rate of 145.93.<\/span><\/p>\n Varma has been a daily a part of India\u2019s T20I squad since his debut in 2023 and has already shown that he can perform under pressure. He has played vital roles in crucial matches for each India and Mumbai Indians. Considering his growth and up to date performances, Varma may very well be a powerful option if Kohli is unavailable for the Afghanistan ODIs.<\/span><\/p>\n Ruturaj Gaikwad may very well be the surprise alternative on this list. Unlike Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma, who enjoyed strong IPL 2026 seasons, Gaikwad had a difficult campaign each as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain and as a batter. He struggled to seek out consistency, scoring 337 runs in 14 innings at a mean of 28.08 and a strike rate of 123.44, with two half-centuries.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite his disappointing IPL season, Gaikwad has a solid record in ODI cricket for India. In eight ODI innings, he has scored 228 runs at a strike rate of 89.76, including one century and one fifty. Interestingly, like Samson, Gaikwad scored a century in his most up-to-date ODI innings for India. The trendy right-hander smashed 105 runs off 83 balls, hitting 12 fours and two sixes. <\/span><\/p>\n The 29-year-old\u2019s ability to bat in numerous positions is one other advantage. He can open the innings or slot into the center order at No. 3 or No. 4, making him a versatile option for the selectors in the event that they need a alternative for Virat Kohli within the Afghanistan ODI series.<\/span><\/p>\n Get the most recent cricket news here, like us on Facebook<\/a>, and follow us on Twitter<\/a> and Instagram <\/a>for more such updates.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n# 1 Sanju Samson <\/span><\/h2>\n
# 2 Tilak Verma <\/span><\/h2>\n
# 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad <\/span><\/h2>\n
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