Why is Virat Kohli not playing today’s IND vs ENG 2025 1st ODI?

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli is not a part of India's playing XI for the first ODI against England in Nagpur on Thursday, February 6. Skipper Rohit Sharma mentioned at the toss that Virat is missing out due to a knee issue he sustained the night before match day.

An official statement also mentioned that Virat Kohli was unavailable for selection for the opening ODI of the three-match series due to a sore right knee. The star Indian batter was last seen playing in the Ranji Trophy for his state team Delhi. However, he failed to leave an impact with the bat on his return to domestic cricket.

With Yashasvi Jaiswal set to make his ODI debut, Shubman Gill is expected to take Kohli's place at No.3 in the playing XI. Kohli last played an ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2024 where he managed to score just 20 runs off 18 deliveries.

After a relatively poor Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series, Virat Kohli was expected to stage a comeback in the ODI series against England. However, with him missing out on the series opener, fans will have to wait to see him back in action for the Men in Blue.

The second and the third ODIs of the series will be played on February 9 and February 12 in Cuttack and Ahmedabad respectively.

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Virat Kohli's ODI numbers for India

Virat Kohli, who made his ODI debut for India in 2008, has been an integral part of the side across formats. He has been a consistent performer in the white-ball set-up, particularly having a splendid 2023 World Cup with the bat.

Kohli has played 295 ODIs for India and has batted in 283 innings, amassing 13906 runs at an average of 58.18 and a strike rate of 93.54. He has been a pillar for India in the format, slamming as many as 50 hundreds and 72 half-centuries with a top score of 183.

Kohli is also a part of India's 2025 Champions Trophy squad and will have a key role to play in the marquee ICC event. The team will hope that his knee issue is not a major matter of concern as he misses out on the first ODI against England.