The first ODI between India and England on February 6, 2025, at Nagpur witnessed some major developments. Virat Kohli ruled out due to injury, debutants shine, and England collapses early after a great start.
Virat Kohli Ruled Out with Knee Injury
India was left reeling just before the match as star bat Virat Kohli was injured and ruled out with a sore right knee during a training session before the match. It marks the first time in 1,130 days that Kohli has missed an international match, with his last absence being when he skipped a game against South Africa in January 2022 due to an upper back spasm.
While Kohli’s absence raised concerns ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, reports suggest that the injury is not serious, and he is expected to be back for the second ODI.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana Make Their ODI Debuts
With Kohli unavailable, the Indian team management handed ODI debuts to:
Yashasvi Jaiswal – The young opener, who impressed in Tests and T20Is, got his maiden ODI cap.
Harshit Rana – The pace-bowling allrounder, known for his performances in domestic cricket, made his debut.
Meanwhile, senior pacer Mohammed Shami was brought back to the ODI squad after last representing the side during the 2023 World Cup.
England Bat First, Early Collapse After a Strong Start
England won the toss and chose to bat first. Openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett gave a great start, building an early partnership. However, India’s bowlers made a strong comeback:
Harshit Rana hit two overs on debut as he sent Duckett back (32) and Harry Brook (0), reducing England to 77/3
Jos Buttler led England’s recovery with a composed fifty, though wickets continued falling at regular intervals.
Mohammed Shami dismissed Brydon Carse, leaving the hosts struggling at 213/7.
Reported Hardik Pandya falls ill
The allrounder was taken to the hospital by the team administration on Wednesday night after complaining of stomach pain but no official update came from his side, while he was kept in the contingent and played a match for his country in the first ODI.
Varun Chakravarthy ruled out despite Twenty20 heroics
It was almost expected that the spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, will debut in ODIs after doing pretty well in T20Is in which he emerged as the Player of the Series with 14 wickets; one being a fifer against Rajkot. He got replaced with Harshit Rana.
With the Champions Trophy approaching, this ODI series is the preparatory phase that India cannot do without. Considering Kohli has been injured recently, his performance will be well watched by India in the series ahead. Along with this, the performance of debutants such as Jaiswal and Rana will determine the balancedness of the India squad for this major tournament.
