Cricket enthusiasts experienced disappointment on Thursday when Rohit Sharma announced that Virat Kohli would not be part of the Indian playing XI during the toss against England in the first ODI held in Nagpur. Rohit disclosed that Kohli had sustained a knee injury the night before and had been substituted by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was making his ODI debut.

Kohli's injury follows a period of poor performance in the Tests against New Zealand and Australia, and he also struggled to make an impact upon his return in the Ranji Trophy.

Prior to the toss at the VCA Stadium, Virat Kohli was observed with a bandage on his right knee. Commentators noted that he was undergoing a fitness test to determine his availability. He was seen engaging in light jogging and stretching, and it appeared he communicated uncertainty about his condition to a member of the coaching staff, while also touching his right knee.

The last occasion Kohli missed a match due to injury was in 2022, when he was sidelined from a Test match against South Africa in Johannesburg due to a back spasm.

Here is the video:

During the series against Australia, he faced criticism for his lack of form as India suffered defeats. His dismissals were primarily edges to the wicketkeeper or slip cordon, which further frustrated fans who began to question his performance and technique. Before returning to the Ranji Trophy, he trained for a week with former India and RCB batting coach Sanjay Bangar, but this did not yield positive results, as he was dismissed for just six runs against Railways. Nevertheless, despite his struggles, his presence attracted large crowds, with thousands of cricket fans flocking to the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Kohli's supporters were particularly eager for Thursday's match, as the RCB star is only 94 runs shy of becoming the third player to reach 14,000 runs in ODIs. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara have previously achieved this milestone, and should Kohli reach it, he would undoubtedly become the fastest player to do so.

Read Also: End of an Era: Virat Kohli’s 1130-Day Injury-Free Streak Comes to an Unexpected Halt

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!