The uncertainty surrounding Virat Kohli’s hamstring injury and Rohit Sharma’s fitness has once again put the spotlight on India’s senior batting duo ahead of the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan. Having already retired from Test and T20I cricket, both players have made it clear that the 2027 ODI World Cup remains a major goal, making their fitness and form key areas of focus for the selectors.
Kohli sustained a hamstring injury while batting in the IPL final against Gujarat Titans, and multiple reports have suggested that he is unlikely to feature in the Afghanistan series. The injury has raised concerns given India’s plans for the experienced batter in the lead-up to the World Cup.
Rohit, meanwhile, returned from a hamstring issue to play for Mumbai Indians during the latter half of the IPL season. However, his place in the ODI squad was announced subject to fitness clearance. The Indian captain is yet to report to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence for the mandatory fitness assessment, leaving his availability for the Afghanistan series uncertain. With both veterans facing fitness concerns, the selectors are closely monitoring developments before finalising their plans.
When India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate was asked about the growing speculation surrounding Kohli’s injury, he refrained from offering any specifics and said the team would provide an official update in due course, stressing that any fitness concern involving players of Kohli’s or Rohit’s stature naturally attracts significant attention.
“Official communication will come on that. It’s obviously big news when it’s someone like Virat or Rohit,” Ten Doeschate said in the press conference.
He also said that Rohit Sharma’s hamstring will be assessed before a final call is taken for the one-dayers.
“The same protocols will be in place where we’ll assess the fitness of those guys and we’ve got a few days now to decide whether they are fit enough to play and be part of the squad, and make adjustments accordingly. But I’m sure some official communication will come through as soon as the medical team confirms,” Ten Doeschate.
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Ten Doeschate breaks down workload approach
Addressing the challenge of balancing IPL commitments with international responsibilities, Ten Doeschate said player workload management cannot be approached with a one-size-fits-all policy. The India assistant coach stressed that each case must be assessed individually, while acknowledging the importance of the IPL and the need to ensure players are at their best when representing the national team.
“I think it’s a very individualistic thing. You know, with the Indian hats on, we want the players to be at their absolute best when they’re on international duty, and that’s a case of managing it case by case. So I appreciate that it’s a big time of year for those players. The IPL is a showpiece domestic competition, so it’s striking a balance between those two things. I think with the workload guys had going into that last IPL, or certainly a large proportion of the contracted players, I think we’ve done fairly well out of it,” he said.