Virat Kohli passes key fitness check, availability for England ODIs almost confirmed: Report

Virat Kohli has reportedly completed his fitness assessment at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and is likely to be cleared for India’s ODI series against England. Kohli had missed India's last ODI series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury.

Virat Kohli was recently seen promoting his new-look athleisure brand One8. Image: Reuters

FirstCricket Staff|Jun 23, 2026, 10:24:16 IST

Virat Kohli has successfully completed his medical fitness assessment and is now likely to be cleared for India’s upcoming three-match ODI series against England, starting July 14. The fitness test was reportedly conducted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Monday, June 22, where Kohli finished his test without any major concerns.

Kohli’s availability had been under doubt when the squad was announced, with the senior batter returning from a hamstring injury that had earlier ruled him out of the Afghanistan series. However, he was still included in the 15-member squad when the BCCI unveiled the team for England ODIs on Sunday, but with subject to fitness clearance.

Kohli likely to play ODIs in England

According to Sports Tak, Kohli has recovered well and is expected to receive the final green signal by Tuesday or Wednesday, making him available for selection in the England ODIs. His presence is seen as a major boost for the Shubman Gill-led side, especially with India using the series as preparation for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 cycle.

Kohli, who only plays in the 50-over format for India after retiring from Tests and T20Is, had suffered the injury during IPL 2026, which his team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won.

Meanwhile, India will miss the services of ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who remains unavailable for the series after an old injury resurfaced. In his absence, Nitish Kumar Reddy was expected to continue as the backup all-round option in the squad. But a fresh update emerged on Tuesday claiming that Reddy has been ruled out of the series too due to an injury.

So far, Reddy has been ruled out of the Ireland T20I series, but his availability for the England tour also remains under doubt. He has been asked to report at COE for further assessment.

The three-match ODI series will be played at Edgbaston (July 14), Sophia Gardens (July 16), and Lord’s (July 19), with matches scheduled at 3:30 PM IST and 5:30 PM IST respectively.

India ODI squad vs England: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli*, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar.

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