How often has injury kept Virat Kohli out of internationals?
What's the story
Virat Kohli, one of the most agile cricketers, is likely to miss India's impending ODI series against Afghanistan at home. According to a report by The Times of India, Kohli has suffered a hamstring injury, and the exact recovery timeline remains unclear. Despite his rigorous recovery sessions and efforts to stay match-ready, Kohli has had to miss a few internationals due to injuries.
Rare absence
When did Kohli miss his last international?
Kohli's potential absence from the Afghanistan ODIs is a rare occurrence in his international career. The last international he missed was the Nagpur ODI against England last year, owing to a knee injury. Before that, he missed an ODI against England in 2022. A groin injury had kept him out of that game. Notably, Kohli now plays only one format (ODIs), having retired from Tests and T20Is.
Previous injuries
Other instances when injuries kept Kohli out
Kohli has missed a few other international matches due to injuries in the past. He was ruled out of the series decider against Australia in March 2017 after injuring his shoulder while stopping a boundary. In February 2018, he missed the third T20I against South Africa due to a stiff back. Later, an upper back spasm kept him out of the second Test against South Africa in January 2022.
Afghanistan
Upcoming ODIs important for Kohli
Kohli is currently the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket. In 559 internationals, the Indian batter has smashed 28,215 runs at a remarkable average of 52.73. His tally of hundreds (85) is second only to Sachin Tendulkar (100). Kohli is already the only batter with 50-plus tons in ODI cricket. He has 14,797 runs at an incredible average of 58.71 in the format. The impending ODIs are important for both him and India, leading up to the 2027 World Cup.