After recovering from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of India’s ODI series against Afghanistan, Virat Kohli is set to make his long-awaited return in the opening ODI against England at Edgbaston. The former India captain last featured in competitive cricket during the IPL 2026 final, where his unbeaten 75 guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a successful title defence.

Kohli was initially included in India’s squad for the Afghanistan series, subject to fitness, but was eventually replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal after failing to recover in time. With the injury now behind him, the 37-year-old is expected to strengthen India’s batting lineup as the team begins its preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

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Ahead of the series opener, a video of Virat Kohli batting in the nets went viral on social media. During the session, the batting superstar was seen facing spin bowlers under the watchful eye of head coach Gautam Gambhir. Kohli missed a couple of deliveries, including one while attempting a reverse sweep, while another spun past his bat and rattled the stumps. Despite the brief struggles in practice, the session served as an important step in his return to competitive cricket.

“Is Gautam Gambhir putting Virat Kohli under pressure? During yesterday’s practice session, Gambhir was standing right beside Virat Kohli’s net, closely watching him. Virat and Gambhir haven’t spoken for a long time. Virat played a couple of awkward shots and then got clean… pic.twitter.com/An7tZBFTMK

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) July 14, 2026

Speculation over Virat Kohli’s international future has continued since his retirement from Test cricket, but India ODI captain Shubman Gill recently reaffirmed the veteran’s importance to the team’s long-term plans.

Speaking ahead of the England series, Gill revealed that he had recently discussed India’s roadmap for the 2027 ODI World Cup with Virat Kohli, including possible team combinations and player roles.

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“Just a couple of days ago, we discussed our plans for the 2027 World Cup, the players who could be part of the squad and how everyone fits into the team. Virat is fully motivated and preparing himself for the tournament,” Shubman Gill said.

With Kohli back in the XI and his World Cup ambitions firmly intact, India will hope their batting icon can make an immediate impact as they look to bounce back from a disappointing T20I tour.