Table of Contents
A huge update for the Indian cricket fans. Rohit Sharma is all set to play against Afghanistan in the upcoming 3-match ODI series. His fitness was under concern due to his hamstring issue during the IPL 2026 season.
Before linking up with the national side, the experienced opener was asked to prove his fitness. As per the current updates, Rohit Sharma is fit and all fine to play the ODI series, starting on June 13 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya fit to play India vs Afghanistan ODI series
Vipul Kashyap, an ANI sports correspondent, claims on the social media platform ‘X’ that both Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have been declared fit by the board’s Center of Excellence (CoE) and will join the team soon for the India vs Afghanistan ODI series.
“Hardik and Rohit are all set to play the ODI series against Afghanistan, both cleared their fitness test and will soon join the team: Source,” the ‘X’ post reads.
Hardik and Rohit are all set to play the ODI series against Afghanistan. Both have cleared their fitness test and will soon join the team: Source
— Vipul Kashyap (@kashyapvipul) June 9, 2026
A crucial series as the ODI World Cup is a few months away
On paper, the upcoming One Day International series might not look exciting enough, as the touring team is ranked much lower than the home team. The one-off Test match, where India claimed the win with ease, proved the lack of quality against the Men in Blue.
But, in a broad aspect, the series is highly crucial, as the ODIs are part of the lead-up to the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup. These matches will be an ideal stage for all of the players to refine their performances.
Rohit Sharma, the former India skipper, endured an underwhelming IPL 2026 season, as did Hardik Pandya. None of the players showed their best during the previous Indian Premier League season with the Mumbai Indians. Both of the star cricketers have so far done a lot for the national team, but they need to play significantly in the upcoming few months to stay relevant for the selections for the ODI World Cup.
Rohit and Hardik need to regain their momentum
During his captaincy regime with the Men in Blue, Rohit Sharma claimed multiple ICC trophies, including the T20I World Cup. The ODI World Cup trophy is the only major ICC silverware that 'Hitman' is yet to claim. It is no longer a secret that the former skipper wholeheartedly wants to play the upcoming World Cup to conclude the unfinished business.
Recently, former national team selector Saba Karim mentioned that the upcoming six months are going to be very vital for Sharma. Ahead of the flagship tournament, the opener will try his best to maintain a strong momentum so that the selectors do not need to think twice before naming him into the team.
The same can be said about Hardik Pandya. Like Rohit, Pandya was also under a lot of pressure and lacked performance in the recent past. So, he will have to regain his momentum again.
