“Really don’t know the status of his injury” - Jasprit Bumrah on whether Virat Kohli will be fit for remaining ODIs vs England

Virat Kohli (left) and Jasprit Bumrah during a nets session. Pic: Getty Images

Team India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has stated that he is unaware of the exact status of Virat Kohli’s injury. He is, however, hopeful of the experienced batter recovering in time for the second ODI against England. The match will be played at Lord’s on Thursday (July 14).

Kohli missed the opening one-dayer of the three-match series at Kennington Oval on Tuesday (July 12) due to a niggle. Sharing an official update, the BCCI had tweeted that Kohli was not considered for selection due to a mild groin strain. The statement added that the BCCI medical team was monitoring him.

In a post-match conference following India’s thumping 10-wicket victory in the opening ODI, Bumrah was asked if Kohli would be available for the remaining matches. The fast bowler responded:

“I don’t know the status of his injury because I did not play the last game (3rd T20I). Hopefully, he recovers, but I really don’t know the status of his injury.”

For his exemplary bowling display, @Jaspritbumrah93 bags the Player of the Match award as #TeamIndia beat England in the first #ENGvIND ODI. 🙌 🙌

Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/ENGvIND-1STODI https://t.co/Ybj15xJIZh

According to media reports, the former Indian captain suffered a groin strain during the third T20I, which was played at Trent Bridge on Sunday (July 10). The 33-year-old had a forgettable T20I series, scoring 1 and 11 in the two matches that he featured in.

“It’s about understanding priorities” - Bumrah on challenges of being an all-format player

Bumrah picked up the Player of the Match award for his career-best ODI figures of 6/19 against England in the first ODI on July 12. He is among the all-format players in the current Indian setup. Asked how difficult it is to pick and choose games given the packed schedule, Bumrah explained:

“It’s not about picking and choosing games. It’s about understanding the priorities. So if there’s a World Cup coming up or a WTC final, you have to look at the calendar and prioritize accordingly. We discuss all these things with the team management and decide accordingly.”

A week back, India and England played a rescheduled Test in Birmingham. Since then, they have featured in three T20Is and have now played one ODI as well. On how tough it is to switch formats despite being professionals, the 28-year-old admitted:

“It’s very difficult. Five days back (seven days), we were playing a Test match. We have already played T20Is and now the ODIs. Mental adjustment and remaining fresh is very important."

He added:

"Sometimes you have to sleep for 8-10 hours to recover because fast bowling is a tough job. But we are professionals. We dreamt of playing for India as children, so we can’t complain.”

#TeamIndia Captain @ImRo45 scored an unbeaten half-century in the chase and was our top performer from the second innings of the first #ENGvIND ODI. 👏 👏

Here's a summary of his knock 🔽 https://t.co/W2hoSOeIc5

Following the second ODI at Lord’s, India will conclude their tour of England with a match at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday (July 17).