Kohli, Bumrah Return as India Name Squad for England ODI Series; Gill to Lead

New Delhi, June 2026: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against England, marking the return of senior batter Virat Kohli and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The series, beginning on July 14, will serve as an important assignment for India as they continue preparations for future international competitions.

Young opener Shubman Gill has been entrusted with the captaincy, while experienced middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has been appointed vice-captain. The selectors have opted for a balanced squad that combines seasoned campaigners with emerging talent capable of adapting to English conditions.

Virat Kohli returns to the ODI setup after missing the recently concluded series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury sustained during IPL 2026. The BCCI, however, clarified that his participation remains subject to final fitness clearance. Kohli’s return is expected to strengthen India’s batting lineup significantly, bringing invaluable experience and stability to the middle order.

Jasprit Bumrah also rejoins the squad after being rested for the Afghanistan series as part of workload management. Widely regarded as one of the world’s premier fast bowlers, Bumrah is expected to spearhead India’s pace attack alongside Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna. His ability to generate movement and deliver under pressure could prove crucial on English pitches.

One notable absentee is seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Pandya had initially been selected for the Afghanistan ODI series but suffered a setback during rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and has not recovered in time for the England tour.

The return of Kohli has resulted in young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal missing out on selection despite his impressive century in the final ODI against Afghanistan. Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Gurnoor Brar retained his place in the squad after delivering a series of strong performances in recent matches.

India’s ODI squad also features Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan, providing depth and experience in the batting department. The presence of all-rounders Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy gives the team additional flexibility in both batting and bowling.

The three-match ODI series will begin at Edgbaston on July 14. The second match will be played at Sophia Gardens on July 16, while the third and final ODI is scheduled at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on July 19.

In a separate development, the BCCI confirmed that mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out of India’s upcoming T20I series against Ireland after sustaining a left foot injury during IPL 2026. According to the board, the spinner is in the final stages of rehabilitation but will not be fit in time for the series.

India ODI Squad for England Tour

Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli*, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar.

India’s Updated Squad for Ireland T20Is

Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Prasidh Krishna.

Team Maverick.