BCCI selects India's ODI team against England; Kohli chosen but subject to fitness test
Kohli missed the recently concluded three-match series against Afghanistan, which India won 3-0
XtraTime Newsdesk: The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the 15-man squad for the ODI series to be held in England in July and selected Virat Kohli on the condition that he undergo a fitness test at the end of the month. Shubman Gill will lead the team, with Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel returning. India will play three ODI matches against England from July 14 to 19.
According to India Today, the batter is progressing well from the hamstring injury he sustained during the 2026 IPL Final. He was assessed by the BCCI medical team in London and has been given a programme to continue the initial phase of his rehabilitation. He will report to the CoE on June 22, 2026, for re-evaluation, further planning and subsequent clearance.
Kohli missed the recently concluded three-match series against Afghanistan, which India won 3-0. In Yashasvi Jaiswal's absence, he was given an opportunity and the young southpaw made the most of it by scoring a hundred in the series finale in Chennai on Saturday (June 20). However, Yashasvi cannot find a place in the 15-man ODI squad for the tour of England.
According to India Today, Hardik Pandya has not been selected for the ODI tour as he continues to recover from injury. The all-rounder struggled to stay fully fit during IPL 2026, suffering a quad muscle strain while training at the BCCI Center of Excellence earlier this month. In his absence, Nitish Kumar Reddy will continue to occupy his place as a front-line fast bowler.
Shreyas Iyer will retain his vice-captainship while captain Shubman Gill is likely to return to the top spot after relinquishing the top spot for Jaiswar's match against Afghanistan. Wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan maintained his status by scoring 125 against Afghanistan in Lucknow.
Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested during the ODI in Afghanistan and the T20I tour in England (three T20Is against Ireland and five T20Is against England), will return to the ODI squad. The move is in line with chief selector Ajit Agarkar's view that Bumrah will play Test cricket and focus on ODIs ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Bumrah will be firing on all cylinders with Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana and opener Gurnoor Brar, who took seven wickets in the first ODI series against Afghanistan. Prince Yadav, who made his debut against Afghanistan, remained on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who was not picked for the Afghanistan ODI series, returns to the squad. Axar has been preferred ahead of Ravindra Jadeja. It remains to be seen whether the Rajasthan Royals all-rounder is still part of the selectors' plans for the 2027 World Cup, despite being the first-choice spin.
India's ODI squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (subject to fitness), Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar.
(Photo courtesy: BCCI/Twitter)
