Ahead of the first ODI against England, former India coach Abhishek Nayar has acknowledged that there is always a question about how Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma would perform when they return to the side. He opined that the duo might feel they are debuting in every series.
The first of three ODIs between India and England will be played in Birmingham on Tuesday, July 14. While Rohit is expected to open the batting with Shubman Gill, Kohli is likely to bat at No. 3.
During an interaction on the Star Sports show ‘Follow the Blues,’ Nayar was asked about Rohit and Kohli’s much-anticipated return to international cricket, especially with the latter having also missed the ODI series against Afghanistan.
“I keep thinking about this, that when a player isn’t playing competitive cricket, there are advantages also to it because you come with a fresh mindset. No baggage. In every series, you feel as though you are playing your first series,” the former India all-rounder responded.
“It’s a very different feeling for someone who has played so much cricket, especially Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The question is always there when Virat and Rohit come – how will they perform, how will they deliver, because you can’t think about the previous series now,” he added.
Virat Kohli missed the ODI series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury sustained during IPL 2026. Rohit Sharma scored 143 runs at an average of 47.67 in his three innings in that series.
“There is excitement even from my point of view” – Abhishek Nayar on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s potential return in ENG vs IND 2026 1st ODI
In the same interaction, Abhishek Nayar noted that he too is excited to see how Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will fare in the ODI series against England.
“The last thing that Virat has played is the IPL. It’s already been one-and-a-half months since then. So you have that time to think about it, reflect, and come back. So, in a lot of ways, there is excitement even from my point of view. How will Virat Kohli turn out? In what kind of form would he be in? The same thing with Rohit Sharma, although he recently played that ODI series,” he said.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach added that the presence of the two former captains would immensely help Shubman Gill.
“It’s always exciting when you have two such players coming in because you get assurance as a fan that they would come and manage the team. Shubman Gill will get a little experience managing the team in these conditions and doing the bowling changes. So, in a lot of ways, Shubman Gill must be feeling very happy and relaxed because now he has got people around him to support him,” Nayar observed.
Virat Kohli has amassed 14,797 runs at an average of 58.71 in 299 ODI innings. Rohit Sharma has aggregated 11,720 runs at an average of 48.83 in 277 ODI innings.
Edited by Kartik Iyer