WATCH: Virat Kohli fully fit, bats with utmost ease in Cuttack nets

After winning the first ODI against England at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, Indian team will like to clinch the series with the same result in the upcoming second ODI at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on February 9. Though India won the first game, fans in Nagpur were disappointed as star batter Virat Kohli was rested after suffering with a knee issue a night before the match. 

There were speculations over the intensity of his knee problem, and his participation in the second ODI was also largely debated. As doubts were mounting, the former India captain put a full stop to all of those ifs and buts by appearing in the nets for batting drill. In a video surfacing from India’s practice session in Cuttack, the 36-year-old was seen in sound fitness and striking the ball with utmost diligence.

India's batting coach, in a pre-match press conference, also confirmed that the India star will feature in the Playing XI for the Cuttack clash.

Also Read: Virat Kohli confirmed to play Cuttack ODI

Here’s the video of Kohli practicing in Cuttack

India will play their Champions Trophy 2025 games in Dubai 

The series will be a crucial set up for India’s practice ahead of Champions Trophy 2025. They will play their first game of the event against Bangladesh on February 19 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. It is worth noting that, Pakistan was the host country for the ICC event.

The BCCI decided not to send Indian players to the country owing to lack of security and age-old geopolitical tensions between the nations. Hence, Dubai was chosen as the neutral venue for all of Indian games. In fact, the ICC has clarified that all the events until 2027, where India and Pakistan participate, will be played at neutral venues only.

India Squad For ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja