MUMBAI: Virat Kohli has made significant progress in his recovery from an abdominal injury and is close to returning to the Indian team for the upcoming ODI series in England, TOI has learnt. “Kohli has started rehabilitation, and his injury is recovering quickly. He is expected to report to a BCCI‘s Center of Excellence for its fitness assessment and recent admissions. If his recovery goes as planned, Kohli is expected to return to the team in the upcoming England series,” said a source.
BCCI selections choose a team soon
The Indian ODI squad for the tour of England will be selected later this week.“The selection committee meeting to select India’s ODI squad for the England tour will be held in three to four days,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told TOI on Thursday.The three-match ODI between India and England will be played from July 14 to 19, with the matches scheduled at Birmingham, Cardiff and Lord’s.Kohli, 37, missed the ongoing ODI series in Afghanistan due to a hip injury, with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal replacing him.This young man has been consulting with the famous orthopedic doctor Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwalla, who is based at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai and works as an orthopedic surgeon for BCCI.
Hamstring injury kept Kohli out of Afghanistan
Kohli suffered a hip injury during his unbeaten 75 off 42 balls in the IPL final, which helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru chase down 156 against Gujarat Titans and win their second consecutive IPL title.On Tuesday, several photos surfaced online showing Kohli spending time in London, where he currently resides, batting with Englishman Jordon Cox, his Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate. The meeting came just 25 hours before the 25-year-old was named in England’s playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand, which began at The Oval on Wednesday.
Agarkar has hinted at England’s comeback
In announcing the Indian squad for the series against Afghanistan in Mumbai on June 6, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that Kohli could be fit for the England series, but added that there is “no clear time frame” regarding his return.“I’m with Virat, it’s been a week since he injured himself in the IPL final. We don’t know when. But it looks like he might be fit for England’s one-day series. It’s not a definitive answer, so don’t hold me to it. I have never had a clear physio session,” said Agarkar.
Which team do you think will win the ODI series between India and England?
After retiring from T20Is and Tests, Kohli now plays only ODIs for India. His previous form came in the home series against New Zealand in January, where he top scored for India with 240 runs at an average of 80 and a strike rate of 105.26.
