IND vs AFG ODIs: Team India to miss key stalwart for Afghanistan series

Team India is set to take on Afghanistan for a one-off Test match and three-match ODI series, which will begin from June 6. The "Men in Blue" will play a one-off Test match against the Afghans from June 6 at the PCA New Cricket Stadium in Tira.

Later, both teams will engage in a three-match ODI series. Ahead of the series, Team India stalwart Virat Kohli has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury, according to PTI. afrikasportnews.co.za

Virat Kohli ruled out of ODI series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury: BCCI source. pic.twitter.com/NuoKOtyJ2v

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 4, 2026

The first match of the three-match ODI series will be played on June 14 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala. The second match will be held on June 17 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow, and the third match on June 20 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Shubman Gill will lead India in both formats, while KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have been named vice-captains for the Test and ODI squads, respectively.

Recently, former Team India cricketer Sairaj Bahutule was appointed as the spin bowling coach of the men`s national cricket team. He has already joined the squad for the upcoming series against Afghanistan.

He expressed happiness over his appointment by saying, "It is a tremendous honour to be appointed as the Spin Bowling Coach of the Indian Men`s Cricket Team. Representing India as a player was a matter of immense pride, and the opportunity to contribute to Indian Cricket once again in a coaching capacity is deeply special. I look forward to working with the players and supporting the team`s pursuit of excellence across formats".

India`s squad for the one-off Test match against Afghanistan

Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel (WK).

India`s squad for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.

In a sensational disclosure, former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi revealed for the first time that alleged life-threatening intimidation from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his crime syndicate was one of the single biggest reasons behind his decision to permanently retire from cricket administration.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Lalit detailed how his unyielding stance against match-fixing during the initial years of the IPL directly collided with the multi-billion-dollar underground betting empire controlled by the D-Company. He asserted that the syndicate operates an unimaginably vast "Satta Bazaar" where odds change with every single ball.

"Dawood Ibrahim is a known bookmaker. He controlled the cricket book. In those days, it used to be $2 billion of underground betting. Today, it`s $4 billion of underground betting a game. It`s huge. It`s unimaginably huge. Every ball, there`s an odd chance. It`s the Satta Bazaar. Nobody fixes games anymore. You fix overs. You fix the ball," Lalit revealed.

Explaining the sophisticated spot-fixing methods where bookies target individual balls or specific overs through covert on-field signals, Lalit added, "We don`t know what success is. It`s become so sophisticated. Somebody takes out a handkerchief, somebody rubs something the other way, and it`s a sign. Okay, we watch for these signs. We look for these signs."

He stated that because he strictly monitored these signs and refused to cooperate, he became a primary target for the mafia. "If you look at the first three years when I ran the IPL, there was no fixing. I took a lot of people to task. And I threw a lot of people out of the stadium. I banned a lot of people from coming. It wasn`t liked by the mafia," he noted, adding that he rejected massive bribes: "They offered me hundreds of millions of dollars to look the other way."

Recalling a sequence of events from 2012, Lalit recounted an incident where a London-based fixer orchestrated a late-night meeting at a penthouse belonging to a well-connected intermediary named Baba. During this meeting, the intermediary allegedly called Dawood Ibrahim directly via a satellite phone from his terrace and placed the fugitive don on speakerphone to pressure Modi into facilitating an IPL franchise for the syndicate.

"I have not told this story to anybody... I`m called at 3.30 in the morning... He (fixer) says, `You have to come and meet this guy, Baba. And you have to come now.` I thought maybe it`s something important. So I go to Baba`s house. There, he (Baba) says, `You have left India, we need an IPL team.` I said I am not even in India. Why do you need an IPL team? Whoever wants to go and buy from someone can go buy it. Moreover, I`m not even going back to India; there is a Dawood problem there. To which he said, `I will fix it in a minute,`" Lalit recounted.

"The intermediary then went out onto his terrace, took out a satellite phone, and allegedly dialled Dawood Ibrahim directly. "He goes on his terrace. He takes out his satellite phone and calls Dawood on the phone. Baba says, `Dawood bhai, Lalit bhai aaya hai. Baat karo.` (Dawood Bhai, Lalit bhai has come. Talk to him.) I said I`m not talking. So he put the call on speaker. I again said, I`m not talking. And he (Dawood) simply says, `You are his friend, forget everything, it is all over,`" Lalit disclosed.

The former IPL chief further disclosed that his refusal to comply triggered a relentless wave of coordinated retaliation across the globe, forcing law enforcement agencies to intervene.

"Bombay police recorded everything. It was chatter that came from the Bombay police. Bombay police put me on Z-security. I didn`t ask for it. All of a sudden, I had Z-security. There was a shootout outside my house in Bombay. There was a hit for me in Johannesburg. And I`m in Cape Town, which was picked up by the South African government. There was a hit on me in Montenegro, which was picked up at the Croatian border. My son was kidnapped in London on Sloane Street, right there... by a guy called Baba Avin. He lived on Park Street," Lalit claimed.

Lalit alleged that the underworld`s hostility escalated drastically when he successfully relocated IPL Season 2 to South Africa, disrupting massive betting syndicates that had wagered the tournament would not happen. "They accused me of moving IPL to South Africa when they thought it was not going to move because they ate the bets up. So they lost a lot of money, apparently. So they wanted me to make good that money. I didn`t ask him to take the bet. I don`t have anything to do with it," he explained.

Lalit claimed that this multi-layered standoff was only defused after top syndicate operative Chhota Shakeel gave a live interview confirming that the mafia had resolved its issues with Lalit Modi. When asked what exactly was resolved, Lalit clarified that it was his personal guarantee to completely step away from the sport that saved his life.

"He (Chhota Shakeel) said we have resolved issues with Lalit Modi... I just said I will retire from cricket. I gave my word I would retire. It`s one of the biggest reasons. One of the biggest reasons. Why would I subject myself to media pressure, government pressure, and then life-threatening pressure?" Lalit said.

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India women's national cricket team all-rounder Shreyanka Patil has revealed the one cricketer who continues to motivate her every single day, and it is none other than Indian batting icon Virat Kohli. Ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, Shreyanka spoke about her admiration for Kohli and revealed why the former India captain remains her biggest inspiration.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is all set to get underway on June 12 in England, with the India women's national cricket team kicking off its campaign against the arch-rivals Pakistan women's national cricket team on June 14 at Edgbaston.

Shreyanka Patil makes heartfelt Virat Kohli admission ahead of ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026

As India prepares for the mega event, Shreyanka Patil said that Virat Kohli is her greatest inspiration, not only because of his success on the field but also because of his fitness, discipline, dedication, and never-give-up attitude. She said Kohli’s qualities continue to motivate her every day.

Read Also: "I've never seen anything like it": Liam Livingstone left stunned by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's fearless batting in IPL 2026

Being part of the same franchise—Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL)—has made that connection even stronger. Kohli's commitment to RCB over the years and hunger to improve and never settle for less have left a massive impact on the talented all-rounder.

Shreyanka Patil said in an ICC video, “My greatest inspiration, still, that I get inspired by, is Virat Kohli, none other than Virat Kohli, the greatest of all time. I don't know because I'm an RCB girl as well, and then he plays for the same franchise. He's just inspired not only in terms of cricket but also the fitness, the hard-working ability, and all of that, not just cricket but all together put in; I think he's just great.”

Shreyanka Patil reveals the Virat Kohli moment she can never forget

Meanwhile, the Indian off-spinner also opened up about an unforgettable moment she will cherish forever. After RCB Women scripted history by winning their first-ever WPL title in 2024, there was a grand celebration at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, and they were welcomed by members of the men's side.

During the celebration, Kohli personally acknowledged Shreyanka’s achievement and congratulated her on something she never expected, and it has now become the unforgettable moment of her career.

Read Also: "Where you are now...": David Warner takes cheeky dig at Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s post; revives franchise vs player debate

She added, “After winning the 2024 WPL for the RCB team for the first time ever, we went into the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the men's team actually started congratulating us, and he said, 'Well done, Sriyanka,' and that was a wow moment for me, and I will never forget that.”

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Virat Kohli powers RCB to historic IPL glory

Recently, the Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru scripted history by winning the IPL 2026. They become the only third team in the tournament’s history to defend the IPL trophy after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI).

And Kohli played a crucial role in RCB’s historic title triumph. The dashing right-hander amassed 675 runs at a staggering career-best strike rate of 165.85 in the IPL 2026. He will now be seen in Indian colors in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan at home.

India batter and Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad posted a short and sweet message to wife Utkarsha on the occasion of their third wedding anniversary on Wednesday.

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Sharing this picture of the couple on Instagram, Gaikwad captioned the post: “Found my forever in you.” The couple tied the knot in 2023 during a private ceremony at a resort in Mahabaleshwar.