IND vs ENG: Who will replace injured Virat Kohli? Predicting India's Playing XI in 1st ODI

India and England are all set to square off in a three-match ODI series, beginning with the 1st ODI on Tuesday at the Kennington Oval Stadium in London. Rohit Sharma-led Team India heads into the match after defeating England 2-1 in the three-match T20I series. Meanwhile, former skipper Virat Kohli, as per reports, has picked up a groin injury and is likely to miss the ODI series opener. 

As reported by ANI, a BCCI source revealed that Kohli didn’t join the squad for their option practice on Tuesday ahead of the 1st ODI. “He has a suspected groin injury and is unlikely to play the first ODI against England,” the BCCI source added. Although there is no official announcement so far about Kohli’s injury, if he goes on to miss the match, Rohit would have to replace the iconic player, with the next best player available.

Who will replace Virat Kohli in India's playing XI for the 1st ODI vs England?

Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan are most likely to open the innings for India in the 1st ODI. Under normal circumstances, Kohli would have been expected to bat at No. 3, despite his recent dip in form. However, if he doesn’t recover in time for the match, head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit would have to make the difficult choice of choosing between Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer for the no. 3 slot.

Given that Iyer has batted for India at no. 3 in previous matches, Dravid is likely to go ahead with him in the first down position. This further means that Suryakumar Yadav is likely to bat at no. 4, followed by wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant at no. 5. Pant can be expected to be followed by all-rounder Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja before the bowlers come out to bat. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami, Prasidh Krishna and Jasprit Bumrah are most likely to be India’s pace bowling options, while Yuzvendra Chahal and Jadeja will be responsible for the spin department. 

India vs England 1st ODI: Predicted Playing XI of India

India’s Predicted Playing XI for 1st ODI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal

Full Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, J Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohd Shami, Mohd Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

Image: bcci.tv