Virat Kohli, often hailed as one of the best batsmen in the world, has been struggling with his form in recent times. After missing the first ODI due to injury, he had a poor outing in the second match against England. However, in the third and final match before the Champions Trophy 2025, Kohli seemed to be getting back into his rhythm with a good half-century. But, once again, he was dismissed by Adil Rashid. Former England batter Kevin Pietersen pointed out that Kohli's over-commitment on the front foot was the reason for his dismissal and that he should have played back to the ball.
England captain Jos Buttler has defended his team's training schedule on the tour of India, after former India coach Ravi Shastri criticised the visitors for not putting in the "hard yards". Despite winning the third ODI by 142 runs, England faced consecutive losses in the T20I and ODI series against India. While Shastri had pointed out England's lack of sufficient training, Buttler stated that the team had trained throughout the tour and were desperate to perform well.
India's national cricket team lost Rohit Sharma early to Mark Wood, but Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli have helped steady the team against England. England won the toss and chose to bowl first, with both teams making changes to their playing XI. India currently holds an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
India's captain, Rohit Sharma, silenced his critics with a magnificent 119 off 90 balls and led India to a series-clinching win against England in Cuttack. Former player and selector Jatin Paranjape praised Rohit's determination and elegant play, while also applauding the impressive performance of debutant wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy. With the deadline for the Champions Trophy selection fast approaching, Paranjape predicted that Chakaravarthy's precision and pressure-inducing bowling style will surely earn him a spot in India's final squad.
Former Australia skipper and current Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting expresses surprise and confusion over India's decision to leave Shreyas Iyer out of their playing XI, despite his recent success in domestic cricket and the 2023 World Cup. Ponting also believes that Iyer will excel in the upcoming Champions Trophy in Dubai.
In an unexpected turn of events, India's stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer revealed that he would not have played in the first ODI against England if regular captain Virat Kohli had been fit. The decision to rest Kohli and bring in Iyer instead shows the team's focus on building a strong batting line-up with a left-right combination, as seen in the Champions Trophy. With contributions from Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Axar Patel, India clinched a four-wicket win in the first match of the series.
After a convincing victory in the T20I series, India now takes on England in the first of three ODIs. With key players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning to action, India is aiming to continue their winning streak at home. However, the absence of Jasprit Bumrah due to injury could prove to be challenging for the hosts. Meanwhile, England’s Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell are making their ODI debuts, adding an element of unpredictability to the match.
In a high-scoring game at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the Indian National Cricket Team put on a show as they clinched a convincing 150-run victory over their English counterparts in the final T20I match. It was a breathtaking performance from Abhishek Sharma with a quick-fire century, leading India to a mammoth total of 247 runs in just 20 overs. The English team, who were unable to keep up with the pace, fell short with a meager score of 97 runs in just 10.3 overs. With this win, India solidified their dominance with a 4-1 series victory over England.
After a strong start from England's openers, India's spinners took control and sealed the series win with a 15-run victory in the fourth T20I in Pune. Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya's impressive batting helped India set a target of 182 runs, while a stellar performance from KKR's Harshit Rana, who replaced the injured Dube as a concussion substitute, helped seal the win for India. India will look to continue their momentum in the final T20I in Mumbai on February 2.
In a thrilling T20 match, England fell short by 15 runs in their chase against India. Despite a heroic half-century by Harry Brook, the team was unable to secure a win due to a string of wickets falling in the second half of their innings. The turning point of the match was when India's Shivam Dube was replaced by Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute, leading to controversy and frustration from the England team. However, Rana's three crucial wickets proved to be the difference, helping India seal the series victory.