After recovering from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of India’s home ODI series against Afghanistan last month, Virat Kohli is set to make his long-awaited return to international cricket. The former India captain will feature in the opening ODI of the three-match series against England, marking his first competitive appearance since guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the IPL 2026 title with an unbeaten 75 in the final.
Kohli was initially named in India’s squad for the Afghanistan series, subject to fitness, but was eventually replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal after failing to recover in time. Now fully fit, the 37-year-old is expected to reclaim his place in India’s batting lineup for the series opener.
Ahead of the match, a video of Kohli batting in the nets has gone viral on social media. During the session, with head coach Gautam Gambhir watching closely, Kohli was seen facing spin bowling. He missed one delivery while attempting a reverse sweep before another ball beat him completely and crashed into the stumps. Despite the brief struggles in practice, the session appeared to be part of his preparations for his comeback.
Kohli has made no secret of his ambition to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup, although questions remain over whether he will continue until the tournament, given his age.
However, India ODI captain Shubman Gill has indicated that the veteran batter remains central to the team’s long-term plans.
“In fact, just the day before yesterday, I was discussing our plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup with him,” Gill said during a media interaction. “We talked about team combinations, which players could be part of the squad, which players could be crucial for us even if they aren’t part of the squad right now, and where each player would fit best within the team setup.”
Gill’s comments reaffirm Kohli’s importance to India’s ODI plans as the team begins its preparations for the 2027 World Cup.
