Virat Kohli Set to Return to ODI Cricket Against England

Kohli's Comeback and Team Changes

Virat Kohli is poised to make his highly anticipated return to One Day International (ODI) cricket in the upcoming series against England. Although he was initially included in the squad for the home series against Afghanistan, a hamstring injury sustained during the IPL 2026 final against the Gujarat Titans forced him to withdraw. His remarkable performance helped the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinch the title for the second year in a row, but the injury sidelined him from the ODI matches.

With Kohli's return, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been dropped from the squad. Jaiswal had been called up to the ODI team in Kohli's absence and even scored a century in the third ODI, leading India to victory, yet he was released from the team shortly after.

New Additions to the Squad

Kohli's comeback is contingent on passing a fitness test before heading to the UK, but given his reputation as one of the fittest athletes, he is expected to succeed. Additionally, Jasprit Bumrah is back in the ODI lineup, marking his first appearance since the 2023 World Cup. He had been rested for the T20I series against Ireland and England but is set to participate in both the ODI series and the Asian Games.

Axar Patel is also making a return after a lengthy absence, having not played an ODI since the tour of Australia. However, Ravindra Jadeja has not been included in the squad.

Players Exiting the Team

With Bumrah's return, Prince Yadav has been dropped from the ODI team. Yadav made his debut in the second ODI against Afghanistan, participating in two matches. Harsh Dubey has also been released after playing in two games. Jaiswal's spot was taken by Kohli, despite his impressive record of two centuries in just six innings, as he is not a regular in ODIs.