February 6, 2025: India’s star batter Virat Kohli will not be featuring in the first ODI against England in Nagpur on Thursday due to a knee issue. The highly anticipated match, which marks the start of the three-match ODI series, is critical for both teams as they gear up for the upcoming Champions Trophy. After their dominant 4-1 victory in the T20I series, India will be aiming to fine-tune their lineup in this ODI series, but the absence of Kohli is a significant setback.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the news, stating, “Update: Virat Kohli was unavailable for selection for the 1st ODI due to a sore right knee.” Kohli was seen wearing a knee strapping and walking gingerly during the practice session, further confirming his injury concerns.
During the toss, India captain Rohit Sharma addressed the situation, stating, “We wanted to bowl first, but it does not matter a lot. Need to be aggressive with the ball at the start and then need to do well later. Nice to get some time off, it is a fresh start and this is a great chance to do well. It is very important to get some gametime, try and maximize whatever opportunity we have. (Yashasvi) Jaiswal and Harshit (Rana) are making his debut, unfortunately, Virat (Kohli) is not playing, he had a knee problem last night.”
While Kohli’s absence is a blow for the Indian side, the team will look to capitalize on the debut appearances of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana. Jaiswal, who has been in stellar form in domestic cricket, and Rana, a promising bowler, will both be eager to make a significant impact in their first ODI appearance.
Kohli’s absence is particularly noteworthy given his incredible record in ODIs over the last couple of years. Since the start of 2023, he has scored 1,435 runs in 30 ODIs at an average of 65.22, including six centuries and eight fifties. His scintillating performance in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, where he amassed 765 runs in 11 matches at an average of 95.62, won him the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.
Despite Kohli’s knee issue, India will be confident in their squad’s ability to perform, with Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and the all-round prowess of Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and others.
England (Playing XI):
- Ben Duckett
- Philip Salt (wk)
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Jos Buttler (C)
- Liam Livingstone
- Jacob Bethell
- Brydon Carse
- Jofra Archer
- Adil Rashid
- Saqib Mahmood
India (Playing XI):
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shreyas Iyer
- Shubman Gill
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Hardik Pandya
- Axar Patel
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Harshit Rana
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Shami
With both teams fielding strong lineups and India missing a key player in Kohli, the first ODI is poised to be an exciting and crucial contest.