Kohli opts out due to sore knee

Nagpur: A sore right knee forced Virat Kohli out of the first ODI against England here on Thursday but the extent of the problem was not immediately clear.

With the ongoing series, India entered the final phase of its Champions Trophy preparations and the side is already grappling with the lingering doubts around pace talisman Jasprit Bumrah’s availability.

The Champions Trophy is due to start on February 19 in Pakistan with India playing all their matches in Dubai from February 20.

The management would hope that Kohli’s knee injury is not too serious and he is good to go in the remaining two matches of the showdown against England. The second game is in Cuttack on February 9, followed by the series-finale in Ahmedabad on February 12. “Unfortunately Kohli not playing, a right knee problem that happened last night,” skipper Rohit Sharma said at the toss.

“Virat Kohli was unavailable for selection for the 1st ODI due to a sore right knee, the BCCI stated.