Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated return to ODI cricket was met with disappointment as the star batter was ruled out of India’s first ODI against England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed that Kohli had sustained an injury the previous night, preventing him from taking the field.
The absence of the modern-day great left fans disappointed, many wearing jerseys with his name on the back, cheering for their hero throughout the game. During the mid-innings break, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen, alongside Abhinav Mukund and Parthiv Patel on the broadcaster’s discussion panel, spoke about Kohli’s stature in world cricket.
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Kevin Pietersen, who shared the dressing room with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, emphasized the immense admiration the Indian batter commands.
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“The bigger the game, the bigger the player. He is as big as it gets. There are a lot of schoolchildren in the stands, all with ‘Virat Kohli’ signs, and people wearing his shirts. Even on the drive to the ground, all you hear is ‘Virat, Virat, Virat’ everywhere,” Kevin Pietersen said, summing up Kohli’s lasting impact on Indian cricket.
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India did miss Kohli, but after limiting England to a modest 248, they did well to bat. The chase, however, started on a shaky note, with both openers getting out within the first six overs. Just when the pressure mounted, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings with a crucial 94-run stand, guiding India to a comfortable four-wicket victory with 68 balls to spare.
The focus is now on the second ODI at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium, where Indian fans will be eagerly hoping to see Kohli return to shore up the team’s middle order.
