Virat Kohli Returns to India's ODI Squad for England Series
India's ODI Squad Announcement
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed the One Day International (ODI) squad for the upcoming series against England, which kicks off on July 1 with a five-match T20I series. A significant highlight of this announcement is the inclusion of the iconic Indian batsman Virat Kohli, who had to sit out the recent three-match ODI series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury. His participation in the 50-over format will depend on his fitness status.
Kohli's Fitness Concerns
Why Virat Kohli's Selection Is Subject To Fitness?
Currently, Kohli is undergoing rehabilitation in London after suffering a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 Final, where he scored an impressive 75 runs not out. This injury led to his absence from the Afghanistan series. To determine his fitness, Kohli is expected to undergo a fitness test at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence.
As part of the BCCI's strategy for managing player workloads, star pacer Jasprit Bumrah was rested for both the one-off Test and the ODI series against Afghanistan. However, he is set to make his return for the ODI series in England. The selection of this squad is also part of India's preparations for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. Harshit Rana, who had a strong performance with both bat and ball in the earlier series against New Zealand before suffering a right knee injury, is also making a comeback. Rana missed the T20 World Cup and IPL 2026 due to surgery for his injury.
For the last ODI against Afghanistan, he was included in the squad. Harsh Dubey, who participated in the Afghanistan series, has been replaced by Axar Patel. Axar, aged 32, has not played in a 50-over international since the series against Australia in October, when he was last part of India's ODI team. Washington Sundar remains the spin-bowling all-rounder, leaving no space for Ravindra Jadeja.
India's ODI Squad
India's ODI Squad
The squad for the ODI series includes: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli*, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar.