Virat Kohli, who is suffering from a knee injury, couldn’t make it to India’s playing XI against England in the first ODI played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium. At the toss, captain Rohit Sharma announced the team with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana marking their debuts while Kohli was excluded from the squad due to his swollen knee.
In Kohli’s batting position, Shubman Gill did an exceptional job for the side with his superb 87-run innings off just 96 balls. Gill’s knock displayed composure and determination as the youngster held his nerves after the home side lost their both opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma early in the chase. His 94-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer turned the game as the Men in Blue got the command over the game with the stand that came in just 64 balls.
Iyer fell against Saqib Mahmood after scoring quick 59 off 36 but Gill stayed at the crease and took the momentum ahead. In the end, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja took the team home with four wickets in hand and Gill got the Player of the Match award for his superb innings.
Shubman Gill gives a major update on Virat Kohli’s return
Shubman Gill provided a crucial update on Virat Kohli’s return during the interview with broadcasters after the game. He revealed that star India batter will be completely fit before the Cuttack challenge as there is nothing to be anxious about the veteran’s fitness.
"When he woke up in the morning, he had some swelling in his knee. He was fine till yesterday's practice session. There's nothing to worry. He will definitely be fit for the next game."
Kohli, who missed a 50-over game due to an injury in 2022, is just 94 runs away from creating history as the 36-year-old is only 94 runs away from hitting 14000 ODI runs to join the elite list with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and India’s Sachin Tendulkar.
