Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], February 8 (ANI): India’s stalwart batter Virat Kohli is all set to make his comeback in the ODI squad for the national side for the second ODI of the three-match series against England at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday, as per the ICC.
The right-hand batter missed out the series opener against England on Thursday owing to a right knee injury which he picked up on the eve of the Nagpur ODI.
Speaking to the reporters on the eve of the second ODI, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed Kohli’s availability for the fixture.
“Virat Kohli is fit to play. He has come for practice and is good to go,” Kotak said as quoted by the ICC.
When asked if Kohli will be slotting right into the playing XI for the second ODI, Kotak responded that captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir will be taking a call on the same.
Expected to be India’s batting mainstay in their outfit for the Champions Trophy, Kohli is on the verge of a major milestone in ODI cricket – 94 runs away from 14,000 career runs in the format.
The 36-year-old had last featured in an ODI during India’s tour of Sri Lanka last year. Prior to the three-match series in 2024, he was India’s top-scorer in a near-flawless run at the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Piling on 765 runs from 11 games, which included three centuries in addition to six fifty-plus scores, Kohli broke the record for most runs in a single Men’s Cricket World Cup, which was previously held by India legend Sachin Tendulkar.
The star batter also went past Tendulkar during the mega event and became the first player to score 50 ODI tons.
Earlier in the first match of the ODI series, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer’s mouthwatering fifties helped the Men in Blue clinch a four-wicket triumph over England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.
With the magnificent win in Nagpur, Team India took a 1-0 lead over the Three Lions in the ODI series. (ANI)
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