IND vs ENG 2nd ODI: Who will fit-again Kohli replace in India's Playing 11?

India's batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, provided encouraging news for both the Indian team and its fans, confirming that Virat Kohli has recovered from his knee injury and is available for selection for the second ODI against England in Cuttack on Sunday. "Virat Kohli is fit to play. He has participated in practice and is good to go," Kotak stated in the pre-match press conference.

Kohli had missed the first ODI in Nagpur due to a sore right knee, as confirmed by the BCCI on the day of the match. With Kohli now available, the Indian team management faces a selection dilemma regarding who will make way for him. Shreyas Iyer, who replaced Kohli in the opening match, played a match-winning knock of 59 runs off 36 balls, which makes his exclusion challenging.    Who will Kohli replace in the India playing 11?

 

Kotak declined to comment on whether Shreyas Iyer or Yashasvi Jaiswal would be dropped, stating, "It is the captain’s (Rohit Sharma) and coach’s (Gautam Gambhir) decision."

Although Kohli’s return is welcomed, his recent form has raised concerns. He struggled in Australia and his most recent outing in the Ranji Trophy saw him score just six runs before being dismissed by Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan. Kohli will be looking for a strong performance to silence critics and prove his form ahead of the Champions Trophy.  One-day cricket is Kohli's primary format, and at 36 years old, he is just 94 runs away from becoming the third batter to score 14,000 runs in ODIs, joining the ranks of Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234). Having played 283 ODI innings, Kohli is on track to achieve this milestone faster than both Tendulkar (350 innings) and Sangakkara (378 innings), potentially setting a new record.