Virat Kohli is a doubtful starter for the first ODI against England at The Oval in London on Tuesday (July 11). According to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sources in India and England, the star batsman has a groin niggle and a decision on his participation in the first of the three-match series will be taken on Tuesday morning.“Virat has a groin strain during last game. It can’t be confirmed whether it happened during fielding or while batting. He will probably miss first ODI tomorrow at Oval as the groin needs rest,” a BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Kohli’s place in the side has come under the scanner repeatedly, especially with the excellent performance of Deepak Hooda. Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma came to the defence of Kohli, claiming his past performances should not be overlooked.“When a player is doing well for so many years, then one or two bad series does not make him a bad player. We should not overlook his past performances. We who are in the team know the importance of the player. They have got all the right to talk about it but it does not matter for us too much,” he noted.Moreover, Kohli reportedly asked the BCCI to rest him from the upcoming white-ball tour of the West Indies. The T20I squad for the same was supposed to be announced but it has been delayed to Tuesday.India have sufficient back-up players in the 17-member squad for the three-match series. The second and third ODIs are at Lord's and Old Trafford, on July 14 and 17.
