The signs were there in the IPL 2026 final on May 31. Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, chasing a 156-run target against Gujarat Titans, Virat Kohli stayed unbeaten on 75 to take his team past the finish line, but not without sacrifice. Towards the latter part of the innings, Kohli could be seen struggling with a leg issue. Many thought it was just cramps playing up in the May heat, but now it has been revealed that it was something more. Kohli was on Thursday ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury that he sustained during the recently-concluded IPL. The three-match series begins on June 13 in Dharamshala.
Kohli suffered the injury during the IPL final that his side, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, won on Sunday. “He is out of the ODI series due to a hamstring injury. He got injured during the final. Scans have revealed distal semimembranosus tendon tear,” a BCCI source told news agency PTI.
A distal semimembranosus tendon tear is a rare hamstring injury affecting the thick tendon that attaches a muscle to the inner part of the shinbone, just below the knee.
In a separate report by The Indian Express, it has been claimed that Kohli has been advised a minimum of two-week rest. He may be fit in time for the last ODI against Afghanistan on June 20, but the selectors are unlikely to include him, the report claimed.
Kohli, known for his unmatched fitness even at 37 years of age, was in stellar form in the IPL, where he steered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a second consecutive title. He hit the winning runs in the final against Gujarat Titans.
Reinventing his T20 game, Kohli amassed 675 runs in RCB’s triumphant campaign, including a hundred and five fifty-plus scores. Kohli’s absence will take the sheen off the upcoming series.
Although the former India captain is now a one-format player, he remains a top draw for fans worldwide. It is extremely rare for Kohli to miss games due to an injury, given his exemplary fitness standards.
When India’s assistant coach Ryan Ten Does Chat Was asked about Kohli’s injury, he insisted that the media should wait for official updates.
“Official communication will come on that. It’s obviously big news when it’s someone like Virat or Rohit,” Ten Doeschate said.
The second ODI against Afghanistan will be played in Lucknow on June 17, followed by the third and final match in Chennai on June 20. The Indian team will have a three-day camp at PCA Stadium, Mohali, where the ODI specialists have been asked to assemble.
After the Afghanistan series, India’s next ODI assignment will be in England, beginning on July 14.
With PTI inputs
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