By Kaif - Feb 08, 2025 03:26 PM
IND vs ENG 2nd ODI Playing 11: When the Indian team faces England in the second ODI on Sunday, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli. Virat Kohli did not play in the first ODI due to a knee injury. He was also seen wearing a band on his right knee during practice. However, Shubman Gill, who led India to a four-wicket win against England by scoring 87 runs, has clarified that Virat Kohli's injury is not serious and he will play in the second ODI to be held in Cuttack on February 9.
Virat Kohli's knee was swollen before the ODI match in Nagpur. Shreyas Iyer was included in the team in his place at the last moment. Gill, who became the player of the match in Nagpur, says that there is nothing to worry about Kohli's injury. In such a situation, the question now arises that who will be left out of the second ODI between Shreyas and Yashasvi Jaiswal? However, the kind of innings Shreyas played, there is less possibility of him being out.
Due to Virat not playing in the Nagpur ODI, there were question marks on his fitness in the Champions Trophy starting from February 19. Although Gill has definitely said that Virat will play in the second ODI, but no official statement has come from the BCCI medical team regarding the seriousness of Virat's injury. Virat did not play in the Ranji match against Saurashtra for Delhi last month due to a neck strain, although he played in the Ranji match against Railways and got out cheaply. If Virat plays in the second ODI, he will have to prove both his form and fitness.
Image Source: X
If Virat plays in the Cuttack ODI, the situation will once again become complicated regarding selection. Shreyas Iyer was included in the team at the last moment when Virat did not play. Shreyas also said that he was watching a movie the night before the match, when he got a call from captain Rohit that Virat's knee is swollen and he may have to play fewer matches. After this, he left the movie and went to sleep. Shreyas played a brilliant innings of 59 runs in 36 balls and made a partnership of 94 runs with Gill. After this innings of Shreyas, it will be a difficult decision to exclude him from the second ODI. Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting also advocated for Shreyas and said that he is surprised that Shreyas is not a regular part of the team in the white ball format.
Also Read: Virat Kohli records in Champions Trophy
Image Source: X
It will also be interesting to see whether the team management will try Rishabh Pant after trying KL Rahul in one match. Rahul got a chance in the first match, but he could score only two runs. In such a situation, Pant can be given a chance and the one who plays better among the two can get one more match practice in the form of the last ODI. Apart from this, there is a growing discussion about including Varun Chakravarthy in the Champions Trophy team. Kuldeep Yadav, who is returning from injury, conceded 53 runs in 9.4 overs in the first ODI and took only one wicket. In such a situation, Varun can be given a chance in place of Kuldeep.
Shubman Gill, who usually opens in ODIs, said that he has no problem in playing at number three, because he plays at this position in Tests, so he does not have to make much adjustments at this position. However, batting at this position is always challenging. If the team loses wickets early then you have to play cautiously and if the opening pair has scored runs quickly then you have to bat accordingly. I always try to play in this order according to the situation. On the excessive use of sweep and reverse sweep against spinners by the young cricketers of the Indian team, Gill said, this is not a team strategy but a personal choice.
Also Read: How to watch Pakistan ODI Tri Series matches for free on mobile?
Give Your Feedback