Virat Kohli bossed a historic run chase the last time he was seen at a cricket field. He led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their second consecutive title, hammering a scintillating 75* in the IPL 2026. Kohli was supposed to be part of India’s ODI series against Afghanistan then. However, a hamstring niggle that he suffered in the final forced him to miss the series.
Now, however, big news is coming. As per the Times of India, India might not miss Virat Kohli anymore. The modern-day legend, who plays just one-day internationals now for India, is expected to be fit for the India vs England ODI series. After two T20Is against Ireland and five T20Is against England, the Men in Blue will play three ODIs against England on July 14, 16 and 19. That’s when you are likely to see Kohli back in India colours for the first time since January.
“Kohli has started his rehabilitation, and his injury is healing quickly. He is expected to report to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence for his fitness assessment and clearance soon. If his recovery goes as planned, Kohli is expected to make his comeback to the team in the upcoming England series,” a source said to TOI.
Virat Kohli boost is a win-win for everyone
The timing for Kohli’s comeback is perfect for India. With the 2027 ODI World Cup less than 18 months away, the selectors are keen to give their senior core as much game time together as possible. Kohli, at 37, still remains the best ODI batter currently despite stepping away from T20Is and Test cricket. Also, it is fantastic news for the England Cricket Board (ECB) as well, since the presence of Kohli in the ODI series will bring all the limelight to the series that they are hosting.
Kohli’s experience in English conditions, where India will play three ODIs next month, will be invaluable. India, despite winning the series against Afghanistan, lost two big ones against Australia and New Zealand in the last few months. In England, Kohli has played 33 ODIs, and has whalloped 1349 runs at an incredible average of 51.88. The tally includes 12 fifties and a century.
India squad for ODIs to be picked soon
Meanwhile, another big news from the report is that the BCCI selection committee is expected to meet later this week to pick the squad for the England tour. “The selection committee meeting to pick India’s ODI team for the England tour will be held in the next three to four days,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told TOI on Thursday.
While an official clearance is still pending, all indications suggest Kohli is moving in the right direction. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had also hinted earlier this month that the former India captain was targeting the England series for his comeback, provided his rehabilitation progressed smoothly.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was drafted in as Kohli’s replacement for the Afghanistan series. Since the start of 2024, no Indian batter has scored more ODI runs than Kohli. The newer version of Kohli isn’t just scoring bucketloads of runs. He is doing that at an exceptional strike rate too. From 2025 to before the Afghanistan series, Kohli’s SR of 98.45 was better than those of Rohit, Gill and Iyer.
Most ODI runs for India since 2024
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 19 | 949 | 59.31 | 97.43 | 4/5 |
| Rohit Sharma | 22 | 932 | 44.38 | 104.36 | 2/6 |
| Shubman Gill | 19 | 920 | 54.11 | 95.53 | 3/5 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 19 | 632 | 35.11 | 89.51 | 0/5 |
| KL Rahul | 21 | 579 | 52.63 | 110.49 | 1/2 |
Kohli’s last ODI appearance came against New Zealand in January, and he signed off in style. The 37-year-old finished as India’s highest run-scorer in the series with 240 runs at an average of 80.
