Where's Virat Kohli? India vs England 1st ODI toss confirms star batter's absence amid injury concerns
At the toss against England, India 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.
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."
? ?????? ?? ??????? ??? ???????? ??????? & ??????? ????! ? ?
！ BCCI (@BCCI) February 6, 2025
ODI debuts ? ? as they receive their ODI caps from captain Rohit Sharma & Mohd. Shami respectively! ? ?
Follow The Match ?? https://t.co/lWBc7oPRcd#TeamIndia |´ pic.twitter.com/b2cT8rz5bO
Where's Virat Kohli?
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.
??????:
！ BCCI (@BCCI) February 6, 2025
Virat Kohli was unavailable for selection for the 1st ODI due to a sore right knee.
Follow The Match ?? https://t.co/lWBc7oPRcd#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank https://t.co/mqYkjZXy1O
Fans react
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?"
Virat is not playing due to knee injury.
！ Abhishek Singh (@Shiv3627) February 6, 2025
Is this serious injury ?
Bhagwan phle Bumrah ab Kohli.
Kya kr rhe ho.?#INDvENG
Another commented, "Kohli ji, Ranji wale din injure ho jate. Aaj aapki batting dekhni thi ODI mein!"
KOHLI JII RANJI WALE DIN INJURE HO JATE AAJ APKI BATTING DEKHNI THI ODI MEIN?#virat #INDvsENG #ViratKohli?
！ ?? (@cinephhile) February 6, 2025
One disappointed fan even said, "Okay, bye! No need! Aate hain Feb 9 if Kohli plays."
okay bye! no need! aate hai Feb 9 if kohli plays ???≠??
！ Sarah ?? (@mi_amor_virat) February 6, 2025
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
Karen Noronha is a versatile journalist with a passion for sports and K-pop. With over 7 years of experience at publications like IBTimes UK, DNA, and OTTPlay/DesiMartini, she seamlessly transitions between covering global athletic events and the dynamic world of K-pop.
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