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India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has announced that Virat Kohli is fit and ready for selection in the second ODI against England, scheduled at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday. During Saturday’s pre-match conference, Kotak confirmed, “Virat Kohli is fit and available for selection. He will be practising with us today.
The match will be Kohli’s first ODI since his participation in the Sri Lanka series in August last year, where India faced a 2-0 defeat. His participation is significant considering the upcoming Champions Trophy and recent discussions about his form.
Kohli missed the first ODI in Nagpur, which India clinched by four wickets, due to mild discomfort in the right knee.
The team management faces a selection dilemma with Kohli’s return, as Shreyas Iyer, who filled in for him in Nagpur, delivered a notable innings of 59 from 36 deliveries. The team could consider repositioning Shubman Gill to open with captain Rohit Sharma if they decide to rest ODI newcomer Yashasvi Jaiswal, allowing Kohli to bat at number three.
In his recent outings, Kohli encountered difficulties during the Test series in Australia, managing only one unbeaten century in Perth whilst struggling with edges outside off-stump. He subsequently sought assistance from former India and RCB batting coach Sanjay Bangar in Mumbai.
His recent Ranji Trophy match for Delhi, his first since 2012, ended with a score of six against Railways’ Himanshu Sangwan. In ODIs, Kohli requires 94 additional runs to achieve 14,000 runs, which would position him as the third batsman to accomplish this feat in 50-over cricket.
