For 1,130 days, Virat Kohli managed to stay fit, avoiding the injuries that often trouble even the strongest athletes. But on Thursday, at Jamtha, as India prepared for the first ODI against England, Kohli’s right knee was heavily strapped.
He walked with slightly less energy, hobbling a bit, while physio Kamlesh Jain kept a close eye on him. However, the injury didn’t seem serious enough to rule him out completely.
That’s why, when Yashasvi Jaiswal received his India cap along with Harshit Rana, no one thought it would be because Kohli was injured. But that’s exactly what happened.
It was only during the toss, when Rohit Sharma announced Kohli’s absence, that everyone realized the situation. India’s key batsman had been rested. While the injury didn’t seem very serious initially, the upcoming Champions Trophy made Kohli’s fitness a big concern.
According to sources in the team, the decision to rest Kohli was taken late Wednesday night. “He seemed fine during practice, but after returning to the hotel, his knee swelled up,” said a team member. “It doesn’t look too bad, and he’ll most likely play in the Cuttack ODI,” the source added.
The 36-year-old hasn’t gone for any scans yet. It remains to be seen if Kohli will go to Bengaluru for a check-up at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) or travel to Cuttack with the team for the next match.
This is a rare moment of weakness for Kohli, whose excellent fitness has been his biggest strength for the past 17 years.
The last time Kohli missed a game due to injury was in 2022 when he had an upper back spasm during a Test against South Africa. Before that, in 2021, he missed a warm-up match against Select County XI because of a stiff back. And in 2017, he sat out the fourth Test against Australia after injuring his right shoulder while trying to save a boundary in Ranchi.
India is already worried about Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness. The pace bowler suffered back spasms during the final Test against Australia last month and hasn’t played since. Captain Rohit Sharma recently shared that the team is waiting for Bumrah’s scan results before deciding if he’ll play in the third ODI against England.
For now, Kohli’s and Bumrah’s injuries remain big concerns as India focuses on staying prepared for the matches ahead.
