Virat Kohli is ready to play the second ODI against England in Cuttack on Sunday. He missed the first match due to a knee injury.
India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed Kohli’s fitness.
“Kohli is fit, yes, he is practicing with us today,” Kotak said per ESPN Crickinfo “He is good to go.”
Kohli trained with the team for an hour on Saturday. He ran without any leg strapping and batted freely in the nets.
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Team India is facing a Selection Dilemma
With Kohli’s return, India must adjust their playing XI. In the first ODI, Shreyas Iyer replaced Kohli and scored a half-century. Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the innings with Rohit Sharma, while Shubman Gill batted at No. 3 and scored 87 runs.
India has two options. If Jaiswal is benched, Gill could open, allowing Kohli to bat at No. 3. If Iyer is left out, Kohli and Gill could take the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. Captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir will decide.
Kohli last played an ODI game one and a half years ago
Kohli has not played an ODI since August 2023. His recent form has been inconsistent. He struggled on the Australia tour and worked with coach Sanjay Bangar to improve. He also played a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi but got out for six runs.
Despite this, Kohli remains one of the best in ODIs. He is 94 runs away from 14,000 ODI runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara have reached this mark. If Kohli scores 94 more runs, he will be the fastest to achieve this milestone.
India hopes Kohli’s return strengthens their batting as they prepare for the Champions Trophy next month.
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