India’s squad for the Afghanistan series is expected to be announced later today, but two big names are still causing a headache for the selectors. Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya remain fitness doubts ahead of the three-match ODI series, with the BCCI yet to take a final call on their inclusion.
The Afghanistan tour begins on June 6 with a one-off Test in Mullanpur before shifting to ODIs in Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai. While Shubman Gill is set to continue as India’s ODI captain, the uncertainty is there around Rohit and Hardik. India need to manage them with care, since both are huge names who would be leading faces for the road to the ODI World Cup 2027. According to a report by India Today, the BCCI medical team is still monitoring both players closely.
Rohit Sharma yet to clear BCCI fitness benchmarks
Rohit’s situation is slightly unusual. There is no major injury concern, but the veteran opener is yet to meet the BCCI’s mandatory high-speed running and fielding benchmarks for ODI cricket.
During IPL 2026, Rohit has mostly been used as an Impact Substitute, which means there was little to no fielding workload. The selectors now want clarity on whether he can physically handle full ODI duties again. Fielding for 50 overs straight should not let him bog down. That said, Rohit’s ODI numbers since the 2025 Champions Trophy remain excellent. He has worked incredibly well on his fitness, looking sharper and fitter than what he looked 12 months ago.
He played some impressive knocks during this phase, including a brilliant unbeaten 121 against Australia in Sydney and two aggressive fifties in three games against South Africa.
Most ODI runs for India since October 2025
| Player | Runs | Average | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 616 | 88.00 | 106.39 | 3 | 3 |
| Rohit Sharma | 409 | 51.12 | 91.29 | 1 | 3 |
| KL Rahul | 317 | 79.25 | 120.07 | 1 | 2 |
Hardik Pandya likely to return soon, but caution remains
Hardik Pandya’s case is more directly injury-related. The Mumbai Indians all-rounder recently missed three IPL games because of lower back spasms and stiffness.
The good news for India is that Hardik has already resumed full-intensity training. He bowled at full pace and batted extensively during MI’s latest practice session and is expected to return for their next IPL fixture. Still, the BCCI medical staff wants one final clearance before confirming him for the Afghanistan series. Pandya’s last 50-over match for India was the 2025 ODI Champions Trophy final. While he played a couple of Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) games for Baroda last year, his workload mainly focused on the shortest format due to the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
Hardik’s importance to India’s ODI setup is massive. Unfortunately or fortunately, there’s no one like him. He remains the only genuine pace-bowling all-rounder capable of balancing the side in white-ball cricket. But his IPL 2026 campaign has been difficult.
Hardik Pandya in IPL 2026
| Matches | Runs | Batting Avg | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 146 | 18.25 | 4 | 12.06 |
India’s selectors now have a balancing act in front of them. Rush back two senior stars and risk aggravating issues, or continue the transition under Gill with fresher players.
