India suffered a setback ahead of their first ODI against England as star batter Virat Kohli was ruled out due to a knee injury. Captain Rohit Sharma confirmed the news at the toss, stating that Kohli experienced discomfort in his right knee the previous night.

With Virat Kohli unavailable, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has been handed his ODI debut, along with pacer Harshit Rana. Both players have already represented India in Test and T20I cricket and now get a chance in the 50-over format.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) later provided an update, confirming that Kohli’s absence was due to a sore right knee. His recovery will be closely monitored, especially with the Champions Trophy 2025 approaching.

India is using this three-match ODI series against England as a final preparation for the marquee ICC event, set to begin on February 19. Kohli’s absence is a major blow, as he has been a key performer in ODIs, finishing as the leading run-scorer in the 2023 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, leading the side, aims to regain form and guide India to a strong start in the series. The match is being played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.

India’s Playing XI for 1st ODI:

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami.

Follow Thesportsprince.com for the best cricket news and update.