Ruturaj Gaikwad is being viewed as the most likely option to fill Virat Kohli\u2019s spot in India\u2019s ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan, should the senior batter not recover from a hamstring problem in time. Reports suggest Kohli is unlikely to take part in the series after picking up the injury during the IPL 2026 final. The concern is described as fairly new, with the medical team recommending that he take a short break of a couple of weeks to ensure he is fully fit before returning to competitive cricket.<\/p>\n
With Kohli\u2019s availability still uncertain, a report highlighted that the selectors may look at Gaikwad as a like-for-like upgrade for India\u2019s middle-order. The Maharashtra batter has recently been brought into the India A setup, where he stepped in after Riyan Parag was ruled out of the same series due to a hamstring injury. Gaikwad\u2019s pathway back to the senior ODI group has also been boosted by his involvement in India\u2019s ODI squad for the tour of South Africa, where he made a strong impression by scoring a century while batting in the middle order.<\/p>\n
A promotion for Gaikwad could also open a place in the India A squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. The same report noted that Rajat Patidar is under consideration as Gaikwad\u2019s possible replacement. Fresh off guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first-ever IPL title, Patidar\u2019s leadership and steady run-scoring have reportedly put him in the selectors\u2019 frame ahead of the Sri Lanka assignment. The India A tour, featuring a tri-nation with Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, is set to begin on June 9.<\/p>\n
Rohit Sharma\u2019s fitness is another major point of focus for the selectors, even though he has been included in the squad, which remains dependent on medical clearance. The experienced opener returned to action for the Mumbai Indians in the closing stages of the IPL after recovering from a hamstring injury, but he has not yet passed the BCCI\u2019s mandatory fitness assessment. Adding another layer of doubt, Rohit has not reported to the Centre of Excellence for further rehabilitation and evaluation.<\/p>\n
Selectors will be watching his progress closely, because any setback could trigger a late adjustment to the squad. If that becomes necessary, Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to be the leading candidate to step in. The left-handed batter has previously been used as India\u2019s backup opening option in recent series and continues to be highly rated by the team management. Although he was not selected for the Afghanistan ODI squad, Jaiswal could quickly re-enter the reckoning if Rohit does not meet the required fitness standards by the deadline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ruturaj Gaikwad is being viewed as the most likely option to fill Virat Kohli\u2019s spot in India\u2019s ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":14117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Ruturaj Gaikwad likely to replace Virat Kohli in ODI Series","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ruturaj Gaikwad could be India\u2019s next ODI pick if Virat Kohli\u2019s hamstring injury keeps him out of the Afghanistan three-match series.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n