Virat Kohli missed the first ODI between India and England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur due to a knee injury. Kohli was replaced in India’s XI by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made his ODI debut along with bowling-allrounder Harshit Rana.
India captain Rohit Sharma said at the toss that Kohli had injured his right knee on Wednesday night.
In Kohli’s absence, Yashasvi opened the innings for India along with skipper Rohit Sharma. Shubman Gill was sent at number three and he batted brilliantly in India’s run chase to score 87 off 96 after both the openers had departed early.
Along with Gill, Shreyas Iyer (59 off 36) and Axar Patel (52 off 47) also played vital knocks as India didn’t feel Kohli’s absence in the run chase and won the first ODI in Nagpur by 4 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The three matches against England are India’s last ODIs before the Champions Trophy begins on February 19. So, it’s important for Kohli to get some game time before the mega ICC event.
Will Virat Kohli Play The 2nd ODI vs England?
India vice-captain Shubman Gill has given a crucial update on Virat Kohli’s injury ahead of the second ODI in Cuttack. Speaking to the broadcaster after the match, Gill assured that there’s nothing to worry about Kohli and he would be fit for the next game.
“When he woke up in the morning, he had some swelling in his knee,” Gill said.
“He was fine till yesterday’s practice session. There’s nothing to worry. He will definitely be fit for the next game,” he added.
Notably, the last time Kohli missed an ODI due to an injury was in 2022 against England at The Oval due to a groin strain.
The 36-year-old Kohli is just 94 runs away from becoming only the third batter to reach 14,000 runs in the format. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara have got there before, but Kohli has the golden opportunity to become the fastest to the milestone.
