Virat Kohli has recovered from his knee injury and is available for selection in the second ODI against England, set to take place in Cuttack on Sunday. India's batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, confirmed the news, stating, "Kohli is fit, yes, he is practicing with us today. He is good to go."
Kohli had missed the series opener in Nagpur after experiencing swelling in his right knee during a training session. In his absence, Shreyas Iyer was included in the playing XI and made the most of his opportunity, scoring a half-century. He later revealed that he wasn’t originally slated to play, with debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal partnering Rohit Sharma at the top of the order.
Now that Kohli is back, India faces a selection challenge. If Jaiswal is left out, Shubman Gill, who batted at No. 3 and scored 87 in the first ODI, could move up to open, making room for Kohli at No. 3. Alternatively, if Shreyas is dropped, Kohli and Gill could slot in at Nos. 3 and 4.
This series marks India's final ODI assignment before the Champions Trophy begins on February 19. Kohli, who hasn’t played an ODI since August last year, has been under scrutiny due to his recent form. After struggling during the Australia tour—where he was repeatedly dismissed edging behind—he worked on his technique with former India and RCB coach Sanjay Bangar. He also played a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi, his first since 2012, but was dismissed for just six runs.
Despite recent struggles, ODIs remain Kohli’s strongest format. He is only 94 runs away from reaching 14,000 runs in ODIs, a milestone achieved only by Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara. If he gets there in this series, he will become the fastest player to do so.
Updated on 08 February, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.