Former India captain Virat Kohli is all set to return to the Playing XI for the side ahead of the second ODI against England on Sunday (Feb 9). Kohli, having sustained swelling in his right knee on the morning of the Nagpur ODI opted to sit out with Shreyas Iyer coming in his place. His return was confirmed by batting coach Sitanshu Kotak while speaking in the pre-match press conference on Saturday (Feb 8).

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Virat set for return

With the Champions Trophy 2025 set to start on February 19, Virat’s return to the Indian side comes as a welcome addition. His absence left a gap in the middle order of the Indian side but was filled by Shreyas Iyer after he smashed a quickfire 59 in the match. The former India captain has struggled in the recent months with the bat including in the tour Down Under against Australia.

According to Shubman Gill, Virat suffered swelling on the morning of the Nagpur match leaving him out of the Playing XI. Interestingly, the 36-year-old has played only two ODI matches since the 2023 World Cup final against Australia, which came in the Sri Lanka tour in July 2024.

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India target series win

With a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, India will target a series win on Sunday at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. The Men in Blue won the opening contest in a one-sided affair having registered a four-wicket win. Gill was the hero of the hour for India as he scored 87 runs before missing out on a hundred. Iyer’s 59-run knock also played a key role for India while skipper Rohit Sharma failed to impress yet again.

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The match will start at 1:30 PM on Sunday with the toss taking place at 1:00 PM at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.