Virat Kohli will not play the first ODI against England, which presents a notable challenge for the Indian team led by Rohit Sharma.
The three ODIs series between India and England will be played before the Champions Trophy 2025 begins on February 19. The team is already grappling with the injury of Jasprit Bumrah, whose participation remains uncertain. Additionally, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Shami are returning from long injury breaks.
During the toss, India’s captain Rohit Sharma revealed, “Jaiswal and Harshit are making their debuts today; unfortunately, Virat isn’t playing due to a knee issue he encountered last night.” Visuals at the scene showed Kohli with a heavily strapped right knee, walking with difficulty. The full extent of his injury remains unclear, but the management, led by Gautam Gambhir, is taking no risks.
Despite recent struggles in Test matches, Kohli’s prowess in ODIs is undeniable. Since the beginning of 2023, he has scored 1,435 runs in 30 ODIs, averaging 65.22, including six centuries and eight fifties. His highest score is an unbeaten 166, and his strike rate is 98.42.
Kohli was the top scorer in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, accumulating 765 runs in 11 matches at an impressive average of 95.62. He was also named ‘Player of the Tournament’ for his outstanding performance. However, during last year’s ODIs against Sri Lanka, he managed only 58 runs across three innings.
Rohit Sharma commented on the match strategy: “We would have preferred to bowl first, but the key lies in executing our plans effectively. Now that we are bowling first, we aim to start aggressively and set the tone early. It’s good to be back after a break, offering a moment to reflect and refocus.”
England Vs India XIs for the teams
England: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt (w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami.
