‘Nothing serious’- Shubman Gill provides an update on Virat Kohli’s knee issue status

Virat Kohli‘s knee problem is not serious, and India’s vice captain Shubman Gill has reassured supporters that he should be okay for Sunday’s second One-Day International (ODI) against England in Cuttack. Gill is hopeful that Kohli would make a speedy recovery from the swelling in his right knee, which kept him out of the first game of the series in Nagpur.

The Indian squad entered the ODI series against England as a vital training ground before the ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to start on February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai. Kohli’s availability for the rest of the series and the forthcoming competition had been questioned after his absence from the opening ODI. After India defeated Nagpur by four wickets, Gill gave an update on Kohli’s knee problem.

“It is not a serious matter. Kohli was OK during practice yesterday (Wednesday), but this morning (Thursday), he woke up with some swelling in his knee. Gill stated in an interview with Disney-Hotstar that he would undoubtedly return for the second ODI.

No, my centenary was not on my mind: Shubman Gill

Axar Patel, Gill, and Shreyas Iyer all made vital contributions that allowed the Men in Blue to win even without Kohli. With an 87 before being removed while trying to quicken the pace of scoring, the Punjabi player was instrumental in the chase. When asked about his innings, the right-hander explained that he wasn’t considering the century.

“I wasn’t considering my century, no. Keeping my attention on the field placements, I played my shots appropriately. I wanted to dominate the bowler, and even if I had been in my 60s, I would have played the same shot,” Gill continued.

He was dismissed after mistiming his shot while attempting to take on Saqib Mahmood, which ultimately resulted in a diving catch by Jos Buttler on mid-on. Despite India’s current score of 235/6, Axar made sure the hosts easily won the match. Before forming a second 108-run partnership with Axar, the youthful batter stitched a vital 94-run connection with Iyer, helping the hosts win the game and take a 1-0 series lead.