Inside Virat Kohli’s injury rehab: How the India star is fast-tracking his return before England ODIs
Inside Virat Kohli’s injury rehab: How the India star is fast-tracking his return before England ODIs originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Kohli’s hamstring injury is healing well, putting him on course for an England comeback.
- BCCI selection committee will pick the England ODI squad within three to four days.
- Kohli’s last international appearance came against New Zealand in January.
Virat Kohli on track to return for India’s ODI series in England
Virat Kohli appears to be on schedule to return to international cricket for India’s upcoming ODI series in England, with reports claiming that his hamstring injury is healing faster than initially expected.
According to The Times of India, Kohli has already begun his rehabilitation programme and is due to report to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence shortly for a fitness assessment that will determine his final clearance. If that process goes according to plan, the veteran batter is expected to make his comeback during the England tour.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the selection committee meeting to pick India’s ODI squad for the England tour would take place within the next three to four days.
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(getty)
Ajit Agarkar had already flagged a possible return
Kohli sat out India’s ongoing home ODI series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring problem, with Yashasvi Jaiswal stepping in as his replacement at the top of the order.
Kohli has been working closely with Dr Dinshaw Pardiwalla, a leading orthopaedic surgeon based at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, who also serves as the BCCI’s consultant orthopaedic surgeon.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had hinted at this possibility earlier in the month when announcing India’s squads for the Afghanistan series in Mumbai on June 6.
At the time, he noted that there was no firm timeline from the team’s physio but suggested Kohli could potentially be fit in time for the England assignment.
“With Virat, it’s just been less than a week since he injured himself in the IPL final. We don’t know the timelines yet. But it looks like he might be fit for that England one-day series. It’s not a definitive answer, so don’t hold me to it. I haven’t had a clear timeline from the physio yet,” Agarkar had said.
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Virat Kohli’s recent form in ODIs
Having already stepped away from T20 internationals and Test cricket, Kohli’s international career is now confined entirely to the 50-over format.
His most recent outing came in India’s home series against New Zealand in January, where he was the side’s leading run-scorer with 240 runs at an impressive average of 80 and a strike rate of 105.26. If he carries that form into England, it would be a timely boost for India ahead of a busy season.
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