Days after lifting his second consecutive IPL trophy for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Virat Kohli will join the India squad in Mullanpur on June 9 ahead of the IND vs AFG ODI series. He will be joined by Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya and those who are not part of the Test squad. While the Test match will be on, the ODI-only players will undergo a three-day training camp before flying to Dharamshala on June 11.
Prince Yadav, who is already with the Test squad, as a net bowler, will switch to the ODI camp as he received his maiden ODI call-up following impressive IPL outings. However, it will be a real challenge for the support staff as well due to the Test match, which will begin on June 6 with day 5 on June 10. While the IND vs AFG Test is unlikely to last five days, there is a contingency plan in place in case it does. The support staff will divide their workloads between the two squads, as per a RevSportz report.
Players in the ODI training camp
- Rohit Sharma
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- Ishan Kishan
- Hardik Pandya
- Arshdeep Singh
- Prince Yadav
Rohit Sharma under spotlight
Even though it is a restart of India’s preparations for the ODI World Cup in 2027, the focus will be on the two stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, especially the latter. Rohit was selected in the ODI squad with some confusion over his fitness. Since the squad selection on May 19.
Rohit suffered a hamstring injury in the IPL 2026 and missed five matches for Mumbai Indians. When the squad was picked, Rohit had already made a return from injury and played three matches. Yet, the selectors raised fitness concerns which did not make sense. Following MI’s league stage exit, BCCI summoned both Rohit and Hardik Pandya to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru this week. While Hardik has already reported to the CoE, Rohit is also likely to drop by before he travels to Mullanpur. Both players need the BCCI medical team’s clearance to be eligible for selection. Hardik suffered from back spasms during IPL and missed four matches.
With the ODI World Cup preparations on, the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee is open to experimenting with the squad. Team India will play 15 more ODIs in 2026, starting with the IND vs AFG ODI series. With Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan both openers, the selectors might want to give them chances. And that’s where Rohit Sharma’s spot could be in jeopardy.
Virat Kohli is safe with tons of runs in IPL, and he is the top run scorer in ODIs for India in 2026 with an average of 80.00. Rohit Sharma did not start 2026 well, scoring 26, 24 and 11 against New Zealand in January. In the IPL 2026, Rohit had an average season with 283 runs in 9 innings. If he continues to struggle with form and injuries, the selectors might want to try out Jaiswal or Kishan to partner with Shubman Gill. The next few bilateral ODI series could be crucial for India’s former captain.
Selectors open to experimentation in ODIs
The selectors have already signalled experimentation, resting both Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Instead, they handed maiden call-up to left-arm spin all-rounder Harsh Dubey. Rohit Sharma might not have a desired different path. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar also raised his concerns about Rohit Sharma.
“Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jaiswal are tailor-made to be a top three in 50-overs cricket. And you’re not backing them, and going to a Rohit Sharma. At least with Virat Kohli, he has a case. It cannot be that the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, believes that this is the right way forward for Indian cricket. I cannot imagine him thinking this is the right way forward,” Manjrekar said on the Sportstar podcast.
As for Hardik Pandya, there is still no like-for-like backup. No one can deliver what he does. Nitish Kumar Reddy has been groomed to be that backup. Where Reddy lacked was in his bowling speed. However, in IPL 2026, there was a drastic improvement as he picked up 8 wickets in 14 matches. He also improved his speed. While he is not a direct replacement, he could be a backup. But Hardik would be a crucial cog in India’s World Cup aspirations in South Africa.
India ODI squad for Afghanistan series
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma (subject to fitness), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (subject to fitness), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey
Cricket
Suryakumar Yadav sacked as India's T20I captain, BCCI to consult Gautam Gambhir for his replacement
Ben Stokes defends Jofra Archer for skipping ENG vs NZ 1st Test after Simon Doull's scathing remarks
