Virat Kohli ruled out of England ODI tour, Yashasvi Jaiswal named replacement

While most of the attention was on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who earned his first India call-up after a sensational IPL 2026 season, another major development quietly unfolded as Yashasvi Jaiswal made his way back into India’s ODI set-up. The left-hander was recalled to the 50-over squad after replacing the injured Virat Kohli, who was ruled out of the Afghanistan series following a hamstring injury sustained at the end of the IPL.

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The development underlines India’s ongoing transition in white-ball cricket, with selectors continuing to fine-tune combinations ahead of and beyond the 2027 World Cup cycle.

“It’s just less than a week since he got injured in the IPL final. I don’t know the timelines yet, it looks like he might be fit for the England ODIs. It’s not a definitive squad, I haven’t had a physio yet,” chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said during India’s T20I squad for UK tour announcement. Yashasvi Jaiswal replaces injured Virat Kohli for IND vs AFG ODI series (Photo from X)

The return of Jaiswal adds further depth to India’s top-order options. The left-hander has appeared in just four ODIs in his career, all in 2025, but remains highly rated after a century against South Africa in his last appearance in the format. Despite breaking into the Test side in 2023 and establishing himself in red-ball cricket, his ODI opportunities were limited due to intense competition among India’s top batsmen.

The withdrawal comes at a crucial time as India look to establish themselves in the group stage while still testing bench strength. Jaiswal’s ability to provide aggressive starts at the top makes him a valuable asset in the evolving 50-over structure.

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Meanwhile, all eyes were firmly on 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was rewarded for a breathtaking IPL 2026 campaign with his first Indian challenge for India’s upcoming T20 series against England and Ireland. The teenage prodigy amassed 776 runs from 16 innings to win the Orange Cap in a season that heralded his arrival on the global stage.

Sooryavanshi’s performances took Rajasthan Royals to Qualifier 2 where their campaign eventually ended against Gujarat Titans. Along the way, he produced match-winning knocks and repeatedly dismantled bowling attacks with a fearless stroke play, bringing him within touching distance of breaking Chris Gayle’s iconic fastest century record.

A young man a breakout season saw him sweep top individual honorsincluding awards for Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Season, Super Striker of the Season and Super Sixer of the Season. His consistency combined with explosive hitting has quickly put him in India’s long-term white-ball plans, with the selectors now looking to integrate him into the national set-up in a controlled manner.

Sooryavanshi is currently in Sri Lanka for India Tour of Sri Lanka for the upcoming Tri-Nation series against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

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Published on:

June 6, 2026 14:47 IST