Virat, Bumrah Return for England ODIs - Jaiswal Misses Out

There is big news for Indian cricket fans. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England. And two of India’s biggest names – Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah – are back. But there is a big surprise too. Yashasvi Jaiswal has not been included in the squad even after scoring two centuries in his last three ODI innings.

Here are the full details of what this squad announcement means.

Virat Kohli’s Return – But With a Condition

He has been one of the most talked about subjects in Indian cricket. He missed the recent Afghanistan ODI series due to a hamstring injury during IPL 2026. He was batting for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL final when the injury occurred. Nevertheless, RCB won the title for the second consecutive time – in which Kohli played a key role before his injury.

Now, Virat Kohli is back in the team for the England series starting from July 14. However, his place in the playing XI is yet to be confirmed. His selection is subject to fitness clearance. This means that he still needs to get a clean chit from the medical team before he can actually take the field.

Nevertheless, the fact that the selectors have included him shows how important King Kohli is to India’s ODI plans – especially with the ICC ODI World Cup coming up next year.

Bumrah Return for England ODIs – A Long Wait Finally Ends

If there is one comeback that has excited cricket fans the most, it is Bumrah’s return to the England ODIs. Jasprit Bumrah last played an ODI for India against Australia in the 2023 World Cup final. That was almost three years ago!

Since then, Bumrah has been carefully managed by the BCCI. He was ruled out of the Afghanistan Test and ODI series as part of workload management. At Cricbites, we have been tracking his fitness journey closely, and it is great to see him finally returning to the 50-over format.

Bumrah’s return adds serious firepower to India’s bowling attack. With the conditions in England known to support pace bowling, having Bumrah in the lineup gives India a big edge. He is currently the best fast bowler in the world, and England’s batsmen will have a hard time dealing with him.

Jaiswal Misses Out – The Hard Truth

This is the part that is hard for Jaiswal fans to digest. Despite his brilliant performance against Afghanistan, Jaiswal is missing the England ODIs. He scored an unbeaten 110 in the third ODI – his second ODI century in just three innings. This is an incredible record for any young batsman.

But the selectors have still gone with Virat Kohli, who has returned to reclaim his place. This is a classic case of a senior star returning and a young player being sidelined – at least for now.

The decision to miss out on Yashasvi Jaiswal in the England ODIs has been much debated. Fans feel it is unfair to drop a batsman who is clearly in good form. But from the selectors’ point of view, Kohli brings experience, a big-match temperament and a proven record in England conditions. These things are very important when you are playing away from home.

Also Read: KS Bharat Moves to Dubai, Set to Explore New Cricket Career in UAE

Other Key Changes in the Squad

With Virat’s return for the England ODIs and Bumrah’s return, there are a few more changes worth noting:

Axar Patel returns in place of Harsh Dubey, who made his debut in the Afghanistan series.
Harshit Rana has also been recalled after recovering from a knee injury.
Hardik Pandya is absent. He is still dealing with a quadriceps injury and has also missed the Afghanistan series.
Varun Chakravarthy is out due to a foot injury sustained during IPL 2026.
Prince Yadav and Harsh Dubey, who were part of the Afghanistan team, have not been retained.
However, Gurnoor Brar has retained his place after an impressive ODI debut.

Full India ODI Squad for England Series

Batters: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli*, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain)

Wicketkeepers: KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan

All-rounders: Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy

Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar

*Subject to fitness clearance

What Comes Before the England ODIs?

India will not go straight to England for the ODIs. Before that, Team India will play a two-match T20I series against Ireland on June 26 and 28. This will be followed by a tour of England, which will include five T20Is and a three-match ODI series.

With the World Cup approaching, every match is important. Cricket will keep you updated on Kohli’s fitness status, Bumrah’s bowling form and all the action from India’s tour of England. This is set to be one of the most exciting ODI series played by India in 2026.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!