Virat Kohli struggles through fitness test, informs coach of injury in viral video

Cricket fans were disappointed Thursday as Rohit Sharma announced Virat Kohli’s absence from the playing XI for the first ODI against England in Nagpur. Kohli, who suffered a knee injury the previous night, was replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal, making his ODI debut. This injury follows Kohli’s poor form in recent New Zealand and Australia Tests, along with a lackluster return to Ranji Trophy cricket.

Before the toss at VCA Stadium, Kohli was seen strapping his right knee and undergoing a fitness test to determine his availability. He jogged briefly and stretched while signaling uncertainty to the coaching staff. Kohli also appeared to touch his right knee during the test.

This marks Kohli’s first missed match due to injury since 2022 when a back spasm ruled him out of a Test against South Africa. Kohli’s recent performance had drawn criticism, especially during India’s losses to Australia. His dismissals were often edges to the wicketkeeper or slip cordon, which frustrated fans and sparked questions about his form and technique.

Prior to his Ranji Trophy appearance, he trained for a week with former India and RCB coach Sanjay Bangar. However, Kohli only managed six runs against Railways in the match.

Despite his struggles, Kohli remains a major crowd-puller. Fans filled the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, eagerly awaiting his return to the field. Thursday’s match was particularly significant, as Kohli was just 94 runs away from becoming the third batter to reach 14,000 runs in ODIs, joining Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara. If Kohli achieves this milestone, he will be the fastest to do so, adding more excitement to his potential comeback.