 "Virat Kohli participates in a practice session. Image: PTI")
India’s star batter Virat Kohli is fit and ready to return to the playing XI for the second ODI against England in Cuttack on Sunday, after missing the series opener due to a knee injury. India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, confirmed Kohli’s availability for the match, providing a major boost for the team.
Virat Kohli regains fitness
“Kohli is fit, yes, he is practicing with us today. He is good to go,” Kotak was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
This comes as a relief for the Indian camp, as Kohli’s absence had raised concerns, particularly with the crucial ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on the horizon.
Kohli had suffered swelling in his right knee during training a day before the first ODI in Nagpur. As a result, he was ruled out of the match, and Shreyas Iyer was brought in as his replacement. Iyer made the most of the opportunity, scoring a quickfire 59 off just 36 balls, which now adds an interesting dilemma for the team management regarding how to reshuffle the batting lineup.
Iyer’s explosive innings in the opening ODI made the decision to bring back Kohli more complicated. If the team opts to drop debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal, who didn’t make a notable impact in Nagpur, Shubman Gill could move up to open the batting with Rohit Sharma, while Kohli could slot in at No. 3. The same combination as the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The second ODI will be crucial for India, who are currently 1-0 up in the three-match series. With the possibility of a series win on the line, the addition of Kohli to the playing XI only strengthens their batting lineup further as they look to seal a 2-0 lead in Cuttack.