Virat Kohli likely to miss the first ODI against England due to groin injury

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• Jul 11, 2022 | Dhupali Das

Experts, including former greatest players like Kapil Dev and Virender Sehwag, have frequently questioned...

Digital Desk: After suffering a groin injury during the third T20 International, out-of-form batsman Virat Kohli will probably miss the first ODI against England at the Oval on Tuesday.  

Although the severity of Kohli's ailment is yet unknown, the Indian team management would not mind giving the 33-year-old veteran a rest so that he can participate in the upcoming matches at Lord's (July 14) and Manchester (July 17).

"In the previous game, Virat suffered a groin strain. It's impossible to say if it occurred while batting or fielding. He probably won't play in the opening ODI at Oval tomorrow because his groin needs to rest," a BCCI source said, requesting anonymity.

It has been reported that Kohli did not take the team bus from Nottingham to London, and this could have been due to a halt for a checkup to evaluate his health.

Just three ODI players — Shikhar Dhawan, Shardul Thakur, and Prasidh Krishna — participated in an optional net session on Monday at London's Oval stadium.

This may also cause a delay in choosing the Indian team for the five-match T20I series against the USA and the West Indies. On Tuesday, the team will be revealed.

Experts, including former greatest players like Kapil Dev and Virender Sehwag, have frequently questioned Kohli's place in the T20 team, but skipper Rohit Sharma has steadfastly defended his longtime teammate.

Kohli has requested a break from the entire West Indies series, according to persons with knowledge of the developments in the India camp. If he cannot join the squad, it is unclear if he will be considered "resting" or "dropped."

Due to the covid-19 risk, the BCCI has chosen to travel the Indian team to the West Indies through a special charter flight from Manchester to Port of Spain.

The insider said, "The Indian squad will be taking a charter flight to the Caribbean."