Kohli, Rohit in focus as India face upbeat England in ODI series

After a disappointing T20I series against England, India will look to make a fresh start when they face the hosts in the opening match of the three-game ODI series at Edgbaston in Birmingham today.

With the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup firmly on the horizon, the series assumes added significance as India begin fine-tuning their combinations in the 50-over format. The spotlight will once again be on veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who return alongside pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah after missing the T20I leg.

The experienced trio will be expected to lift a side that struggled for consistency against both England and Ireland. Their return provides much-needed stability and leadership to a squad that looked short on experience under Shreyas Iyer during the T20I series.

For Kohli and Rohit, the challenge of facing England’s pace attack on lively English pitches will be far different from batting on subcontinental surfaces. However, few visiting batters have enjoyed greater success in England than the Indian stalwarts.

Rohit boasts arguably the finest ODI record by an overseas batter in England, having amassed 1,428 runs in 27 matches. Kohli is close behind with 1,349 runs from 33 ODIs at an outstanding average of 51.88.

India captain Shubman Gill acknowledged that planning for the next World Cup has already begun, revealing that discussions with Kohli have centred around building the ideal squad for 2027.

“Our conversation was about the combinations that could work best for us – which players may not be in the team right now but could become important in the future, which bowlers, all-rounders and spinners we should be looking at,” Gill said.

Gill also underlined the importance of Kohli and Rohit to India’s batting unit while welcoming Bumrah’s return to ODI cricket for the first time since the 2023 World Cup final.

“Virat bhai and Rohit bhai have been the backbone of India’s batting lineup for over a decade. The experience and skill they bring are invaluable. They have consistently delivered in different conditions and on countless occasions.

“Bumrah is coming back after a break. Hopefully, he has built up enough bowling workload leading into this series and can enjoy a successful return.”

India have a strong batting line-up with the prolific KL Rahul joining Gill, Kohli and Rohit at the top order while Shreyas Iyer adding fire in the middle order.

But the bigger concern lies with the bowling attack. While Bumrah’s return is a major boost, India’s pace unit remains a work in progress. Young fast bowler Gurnoor Brar, who impressed against Afghanistan at home, will now face a sterner examination in English conditions. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh adds variety to the attack, while Shivam Dube is expected to shoulder the role of the fourth seamer in the absence of injured all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy.

India’s spin department also has questions to answer. Washington Sundar and Axar Patel endured forgettable T20I campaigns with both bat and ball, yet they are likely to retain their places because of their superior batting credentials. Kuldeep Yadav, however, remains India’s premier attacking spinner, possessing the rare ability to extract turn even from unresponsive surfaces.

England, meanwhile, enter the series without having played an ODI since their tour of Sri Lanka in January. While they have remained busy with T20Is and Test cricket, they too will need to readjust to the demands of the 50-over format.

The hosts, however, will carry plenty of confidence after dominating the T20I series. The return of Joe Root strengthens an already formidable batting lineup featuring Jos Buttler, Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell. Buttler and Brook, who dismantled India’s bowling attack in the final T20I at Southampton, will once again look to dictate proceedings with the added luxury of 50 overs at their disposal.

India: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav.

England: Harry Brook (captain), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (wk), Tom Banton, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, James Coles, Sam Curran, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Jos Tongue, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid.