IND vs ENG, 1st ODI: Virat Kohli unavailable due to knee soreness; sparks hilarious reactions from netizens

Team India led by Rohit Sharma got into ODI mode as they took on England in the ongoing series opener at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur on Thursday, February 2. Following a 4-1 T20I series win against England, the Men in Blue are playing the three-match ODI series against the Jos Buttler-led side as they prepare for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9. 

However, ahead of the first ODI against England, India made a big announcement that talismanic batter Virat Kohli won't be available for the series opener due to right knee soreness. This was officially confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) just a few minutes after the toss. 

“𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: Virat Kohli was unavailable for selection for the 1st ODI due to a sore right knee.” BCCI wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

Even Indian skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed at the toss that Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the first ODI of the three-match series against England in Nagpur. He stated that  Kohli had a troubled knee on the eve of the first ODI. 

“Unfortunately Virat isn't playing. He had a knee problem last night.” Rohit Sharma said at the toss. 

However, Virat Kohli’s unavailability for the first ODI due to knee soreness sparked hilarious reaction from the netizens as they took a cheeky dig at his fitness. While others feel that he was deliberately left out of the team as according to them, the batter was completely fine ahead of the first ODI. 

Here’s how netizens reacted to Virat Kohli’s knee soreness: