3 players who could replace Rohit Sharma in IND vs AFG ODI series if he is ruled out
Rohit Sharma is doubtful to play in IND vs AFG ODI series due to fitness concerns.
Indian Cricket Team are gearing up for the one-off test and ODI series against Afghanistan. After the test match from June 6 to 10, the three ODI games will take place from June 13 to 20.
Veteran batsman Rohit Sharma has been named in India’s ODI squad; however, he is doubtful to play in the campaign due to fitness issues. Rohit played for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026 last month. Due to a hamstring injury, he missed a few games in the middle of the tournament.
He was scheduled to check in at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence ahead of Afghanistan ODI series for fitness test. However, he has not reached the BCCI facility yet.
If Rohit is ruled out of the campaign, India will need a strong replacement. Below, we take a glance at three players who can replace Rohit Sharma in IND vs AFG ODIs if he is ruled out.
3 possible replacements for Rohit Sharma in the IND vs AFG series
3. Devdutt Padikkal
Devdutt Padikkal has been picked in the Test squad against Afghanistan. He recently played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2026 and gave a brilliant performance in the top order.
Ahead of IPL 2026, he also impressed with his performance in domestic cricket for Karnataka. With 725 runs in nine games, he finished as the second highest run-scorer in Vijay Hazare Trophy. He also hammered four centuries.
His batting heroics in Ranji Trophy earned him a place in the test side. Padikkal plays as an opener for Karnataka and can replace Rohit in the playing 11. He has played two tests and two T20Is but has never featured in ODIs.
2. Sai Sudharsan
Sai Sudharsan is another batter who could replace Rohit in India’s squad. He is part of the test squad against Afghanistan.
Recently, he gave an impeccable performance in IPL 2026 for Gujarat Titans, scoring 722 runs in 17 games with one century and eight half-centuries. He ended as the third-highest run-scorer.
The left-handed batsman has featured in three ODI games and scored 127 runs at an average of 63.50, including two half-centuries.
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal is the top contender to replace Rohit in India’s squad. The left-handed batsman has played four ODIs so far, scoring 171 runs at an average of 57.0. He last played in the ODI series against South Africa in December last year, where he also slammed his maiden century.
Jaiswal was absent from the ODI series against New Zealand in January. Jaiswal is part of the test squad against Afghanistan and will open the batting with KL Rahul.
Why is Rohit Sharma doubtful for IND vs AFG ODI series?
Rohit Sharma is doubtful for the series due to fitness concerns.
When will the ODI series between India and Afghanistan start?
The ODI series will start on June 13 with the opening game at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.