India batsman Virat Kohli is likely to miss the first ODI against England due to a groin injury. As per reports, the 33-year-old former India skipper won’t be featuring in the game at Kennington Oval on 12 July owing to a groin injury that he picked up in Sunday’s T20I match.
Virat sustained a groin injury during the 3rd T20I
The status of Virat’s injury is not clear at the moment, but it’s unlikely that the team management would risk to play him in the opening game of the series. Virat, in all likelihood, will be given ample time to make full recovery and feature in the 2nd and 3rd games of the series which will be played at the Lord’s and Old Trafford stadiums on 14 and 17 July respectively.
According to an anonymous BCCI source, Virat didn’t travel with the rest of the team from Nottingham to London in order to get a medical check-up done.
“Virat sustained a groin strain during last game. It can’t be confirmed whether it happened during fielding or while batting. He will probably miss first ODI today (12 July) at the Oval as the groin needs rest,” the BCCI official was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
Virat will be on a long break following the England series
The development comes as yet another spanner in the works with regards to Virat Kohli’s career. In recent times, Virat has been struggling to score runs across all formats of the game. In the 2 T20Is that he featured in, King Kohli could only manage scores of 1 and 11.
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It’s understandable why the Indian team management is insistent on trying to play Kohli in the 2nd and 3rd ODIs, as he is likely to be on a cricket sabbatical for some time after this series. Based on popular speculation, Kohli will not be playing any part in India’s tours to the West Indies and Zimbabwe, and will only likely be available for selection around the start of the Asia Cup T20 in late August.