Virat Kohli was forced to sit out of the first ODI against England in Nagpur after suffering a knee injury during practice on the eve of the match. As a result, young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal was brought into the playing XI, making his ODI debut along with all-rounder Harshit Rana.
At the toss, India captain Rohit Sharma confirmed that Kohli had injured his right knee while training on Wednesday evening.
According to the BCCI’s team sheet, Jaiswal was set to open the innings with Rohit, while vice-captain Shubman Gill was listed to bat at No. 4. However, the final batting order could change as the match progresses. India lost the toss and bowled first in Nagpur.
This three-match series against England is India's final preparation before the Champions Trophy, which starts on February 19. The team has not played an ODI since August last year when they lost a bilateral series 2-0 in Sri Lanka, with one game ending in a tie.
Kohli’s recent performances have been under scrutiny, especially after a disappointing tour of Australia, where he struggled against deliveries outside the off-stump. In an effort to regain form, he worked with former India and RCB batting coach Sanjay Bangar and played a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi his first since 2012 where he was dismissed for just six runs against Railways.
Despite his recent struggles, Kohli remains one of the best ODI batters in history. He is only 94 runs away from reaching 14,000 ODI runs, a milestone achieved only by Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara. However, if he reaches the mark, he will become the fastest player to do so.
Updated on 06 February, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.