The first ODI between India and England is taking place at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, and fans were thrilled to see their favourite stars in action. However, what shocked everyone was the absence of star batter Virat Kohli from the playing XI. At the toss, skipper Rohit Sharma was surprisingly happy to lose, as he got what he wanted—to bowl first. He also added that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana are making their India ODI debuts.
He said, "Need to be aggressive with the ball at the start and then do well later." He added, "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 and try to maximize whatever opportunity we have. Jaiswal and Harshit are making their debuts."?
However, post that, Rohit Sharma revealed a sad news stating, "Unfortunately, Virat isn't playing; he had a knee problem last night." Reports suggest that the 'King' experienced discomfort in his knee during training on Wednesday (February 5).?
The former India captain was seen with strapping on his right knee and had only a light training session leading up to the first ODI. This is only the second time Virat Kohli has missed an ODI match due to injury.?
Seeing the player, who is known for his love for this format, missing the game left fans talking. Many took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their thoughts about Kohli's absence.?
One fan wrote, "Virat is not playing due to a knee injury. Is this serious? Bhagwan, pehle Bumrah, ab Kohli. Kya kar rahe ho?"?
Another commented, "Kohli ji, Ranji wale din injure ho jate. Aaj aapki batting dekhni thi ODI mein!"?
One disappointed fan even said, "Okay, bye! No need! Aate hain Feb 9 if Kohli plays."?
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??