Former Indian captain Virat Kohli has been excluded from India’s playing XI for the first ODI against England in Nagpur on Thursday, February 6. During the toss, captain Rohit Sharma revealed that Kohli is sidelined due to a knee issue he sustained the night before the match.
An official statement confirmed that Kohli is unavailable for the opening ODI of the three-match series because of a sore right knee. The prominent Indian batter was last seen playing in the Ranji Trophy for his state team, Delhi, but was unable to make an impact with the bat in his return to domestic cricket.
With Yashasvi Jaiswal set to make his ODI debut, Shubman Gill is anticipated to fill Kohli’s spot at No. 3 in the lineup. Kohli’s last ODI appearance was against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2024, where he scored only 20 runs off 18 balls.
Following a lackluster performance in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Virat Kohli was anticipated to make a strong return in the ODI series against England. However, with his absence from the series opener, fans will have to wait a bit longer to see him back in action for India.
The second and third ODIs of the series are scheduled for February 9 and February 12 in Cuttack and Ahmedabad, respectively.
Virat Kohli’s ODI Statistics for India
Virat Kohli, who made his ODI debut for India in 2008, has been a cornerstone of the team across all formats. He has consistently excelled in white-ball cricket, with a remarkable performance in the 2023 World Cup.
Having played 295 ODIs and batted in 283 innings, Kohli has accumulated 13,906 runs at an average of 58.18 and a strike rate of 93.54. He has been a reliable figure for India, scoring 50 centuries and 72 half-centuries, with a highest score of 183.
Kohli is also part of India’s squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy and is expected to play a crucial role in the prestigious ICC event. The team will hope his knee issue is not a serious concern as he misses the first ODI against England.
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