India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup have suffered another setback, with star all-rounder Hardik Pandya reportedly ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan due to injury. The series, which marks the beginning of India’s road to the next World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, will now proceed without one of the team’s most important match-winners.

According to reports, Pandya is dealing with a quadriceps injury that could keep him sidelined for up to three weeks. The injury is believed to have originated during IPL 2026, where he captained the Mumbai Indians. Although he returned briefly during the tournament, the all-rounder played only 10 matches and missed a significant portion of the league stage due to persistent fitness concerns.

The development comes at a challenging time for Team India, who are already without Virat Kohli. The former captain sustained a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 final while representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru, forcing him out of the Afghanistan series. Meanwhile, there are still concerns surrounding Rohit Sharma’s fitness after the veteran opener battled injury issues during the IPL season.

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While Yashasvi Jaiswal has been drafted into the squad as Kohli’s replacement, the BCCI is yet to officially announce a replacement for Pandya or confirm the extent of his injury. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar recently emphasised the importance of carefully managing Pandya’s workload, especially with the ODI World Cup less than two years away.

Hardik Pandya is missing out on Afghanistan ODIs because of low grade quadriceps strain. The recovery period is 3 weeks and then rehabilitation. Highly Unlikely for UK ODIs. @BCCI

— Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) June 10, 2026

“He is a part of the one-day plans right now, and our objective is to keep him fit and playing well in ODI cricket,” Ajit Agarkar said. “We can always bring him back in T20 cricket later. It also allows us to give opportunities to players like Nitish Reddy while ensuring Hardik remains fresh.”

Agarkar further stressed that Pandya’s value to the ODI side goes beyond his individual performances. As a genuine pace-bowling all-rounder, he provides crucial balance to the team, particularly in overseas conditions where seam movement could play a significant role.

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With both Kohli and Pandya unavailable, India’s squad depth will be tested against Afghanistan. At the same time, the series offers younger players an opportunity to stake their claim as the team begins building toward another World Cup campaign under Shubman Gill’s leadership.

India’s Updated ODI squad vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.