IND vs ENG: Why Virat Kohli isn't included in India's playing XI for 1st ODI in Nagpur

Virat Kohli’s return to action was delayed as he missed the 1st ODI against England.

Ahead of the 1st ODI against England, India were handed a big blow in their preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as senior batsman Virat Kohli missed the Nagpur ODI.

The IND vs ENG three-match ODI series kicked off in Nagpur on February 6, with England skipper Jos Buttler winning the toss and electing to bat first.

Rohit said he wanted to bowl first anyway. The Indian skipper announced that two players, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana, were making their ODI debuts.

Rohit also confirmed that Kohli will be missing the first ODI.

Why Virat Kohli isn’t included in India’s playing XI for 1st ODI in Nagpur?

Rohit revealed that Kohli reported a knee problem a night before the match. The BCCI confirmed that Kohli was unavailable for selection for the 1st ODI due to a sore right knee.

Meanwhile, England had already announced their playing XI on Wednesday.

In the practice session ahead of the match, Kohli was seen walking uncomfortably and had a strapping on his knee.

Another notable selection in India’s XI was that of KL Rahul for the wicket-keeper’s role, while Rishabh Pant was benched. Varun Chakravarthy, who was added to the ODI squad, was also on the bench, and so were Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh. Mohammed Shami is making his ODI comeback since the World Cup 2023 final.

Teams:

India (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 (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

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