Batting coach updates on Virat Kohli’s availability for second England ODI
Kohli had missed out on the first of three games after picking a knee injury while training on the eve of the first ODI in Kanpur.
India’s talismanic run-scorer Virat Kohli is fit and available for selection for the second ODI against England as the hosts look to wrap a series win in Cuttack.
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.
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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.
Kohli had missed out the series opener against England on Thursday owing to a right knee injury he picked up on the eve of the Kanpur ODI.
In the absence of the experienced campaigner, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer made a mark with the bat as India breezed past the visitors to go 1-0 up.
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 had been 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 global mega event and became the first player to score 50 ODI tons.
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