'Heard there was....': Former India head coach provides major update on Virat Kohli's injury

When it was announced that Virat Kohli would not be participating in Thursday's opening ODI of the three-match series against England, fans at Nagpur's VCA Stadium were disappointed. After a long break, Kohli was expected to return to ODI cricket, but a painful knee forced him to postpone his return. The injury's details remained unknown because the only recent reference to a problem involving Kohli was that he had missed a Ranji Trophy match due to a neck condition.

In the lead-up to the series opener, Kohli seemed to be in good form. However, the night before the match, he felt discomfort in his right knee. Even though India had a light net session, Kohli sat out due to his swollen knee. Unfortunately, he couldn't recover in time to participate in the match.

The announcement of Kohli's absence was made early in the England innings, catching fans and commentators off guard.

"Something went wrong last night," said Dasgupta, after which Shastri added, "I heard there was swelling in his knee."

Kohli was spotted practicing some pre-game activities right before the toss. He was obviously uncomfortable since his motions appeared more deliberate and clumsy than normal. His right leg was heavily taped, a sign that his knee was not doing well. For Kohli, who is generally seen as being extremely fit and having a history of little injuries, this is unexpected. He had flaunted his abs with confidence only a few days prior. However, as they say, things do not always go as planned.

Whether Kohli will be fit for the ODI in Cuttack is still up in the air. Jasprit Bumrah's injury makes Kohli's presence on the field even more important, despite his attempts to demonstrate that he is ready for the Indian XI. Kohli's performance is crucial to India's prospects of winning the 2025 Champions Trophy. It would be beneficial to have him return for the remaining ODIs, but his health should not suffer as a result.

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