India suffered a big setback right ahead of the first ODI against England which is being played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on February 6. India's batting maestro Virat Kohli missed out on India's playing XI in the series opener against England. Yashasvi Jaiswal was given his ODI debut for this match, and it was later revealed that he was taking Virat Kohli's place in the India's lineup.
Virat Kohli misses 1st ODI against England due to injury
Notably, Kohli sat out of the match due to a knee injury. Captain Rohit Sharma during the toss explained that the injury occurred just before the match, and Kohli was not fit enough to play. This is a rare occurrence for Kohli, who is known for his exceptional fitness and rarely misses games due to injury.
Rohit Sharma during the toss said Kohli isn't playing the match because he had a knee problem last night.
"We wanted to bowl first, but it doesn't 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's a fresh start and this is a great chance to do well. It's very important to get some game time, try and maximize whatever opportunity we have. Jaiswal and Harshit are making their debuts, unfortunately, Virat isn't playing, he had a knee problem last night," Rohit said after losing the toss.
When was the last time Virat Kohli missed India's match due to injury?
Kohli's last missed a match for India in 2021. During a three-game Test series against South Africa, he missed the second match of due to back spasms. At that time, Kohli was the team's captain, and KL Rahul stepped in to lead the side in his absence, performing admirably until Kohli's return for the final test.
The current ODI against England marks the first time Kohli has missed an ODI due to injury since that 2021 incident. This is only the second time in his entire ODI career that he's been sidelined by injury. The team management is undoubtedly hoping for a quick recovery and Kohli's return to the lineup for the remainder of the series.
If Kohli returns for the next game against England, he will have only two matches to prepare for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 which is slated to start from February 19. His form is a major concern for Team India heading into the showpiece tournament, making this series against England a critical opportunity for him to find his rhythm.
Kohli's recent performances have been far from his best. He has struggled in Test cricket and failed to make an impact in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25. His last ODI outing against Sri Lanka was equally disappointing, as he couldn't find his footing in any of the three matches.
India's Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami
England's Playing XI:
Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood