Virat Kohli has been named in India’s 15-man squad for next month’s one-day series in England, while Yashasvi Jaiswal – fresh from an unbeaten 110 against Afghanistan – finds himself on the sidelines.
Selectors say Kohli’s place is “subject to fitness clearance”. The 37-year-old will nip down to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru this week for a final check on the hamstring that ruled him out of the Afghanistan games. Otherwise, the list looks very close to full strength and, whisper it, has a distinct World Cup 2027 feel.
Jasprit Bumrah returns after a workload break that stretched back to the 2023 World Cup final. Axar Patel is also restored, ending a short exile that covered the home series against South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan. Their inclusions mean Prince Yadav and Harsh Dubey – both debutants last week – make way.
Hardik Pandya remains absent after a training-ground leg strain. The medical bulletin is upbeat, yet the all-rounder was not risked for this tour. “We’d love Hardik in England,” a senior selector told reporters, “but rushing him never ends well.”
The omission of Jaiswal raises eyebrows only because of timing. Two hundreds in six ODIs normally buys a batter a ticket, yet India’s top order queues around the block. With Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and a fit-again Kohli pencilled in, there is little space. “It’s tough on him,” an official conceded. “He’ll stay in the conversation; form is form.”
Three ODIs are pencilled in: Birmingham on 14 July, Cardiff on 16 July and Lord’s on 19 July. English grounds in mid-July can be quicker than their reputation, so Bumrah’s high-class new-ball skill feels essential, while Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist-spin offers variety if surfaces tire late on.
Short-format strategies evolve fast, yet the spine of this XI – Gill, Kohli, Rahul behind the stumps, Bumrah with the new ball – looks reassuringly familiar. Whether that stability breeds confidence or stifles opportunity is a longer debate. For now, India travel with a tried-and-trusted core, an eager bench, and, in Jaiswal’s case, one very unlucky spectator.
India squad
Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (fitness pending), 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.
