Will Virat Kohli play 2nd ODI between India and England?

The India batter was forced to sit out in the first ODI due to a mild groin strain, and it will be interesting to see if he can make a comeback for the second match of the series, scheduled at Lord's later tonight.

Team India secured an emphatic 10-wicket victory over England in the first ODI and will meet the hosts for the second game at Lord's later tonight (July 14). However, even as the side has enjoyed impressive outings in the white-ball series against England, the form and fitness of Virat Kohli has become a growing concern for the team management. Kohli endured poor outings in the T20I series, scoring 1 and 11 in two innings; he was forced to miss the first ODI with a mild groin injury.

Virat Kohli (Action Images via Reuters)

When asked about the current status of Kohli's injury in the post-match press conference on Tuesday, India's leading fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah remained tight-lipped, insisting he isn't privy to the developments surrounding the Indian batter's fitness. “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,” the pacer had said.

Furthermore, reports have suggested that Kohli is likely to miss the second ODI as well, as he is yet to fully recover from the injury. According to ANI, Kohli is doubtful for the the game at the iconic Lord's stadium, meaning India can take the field with Shreyas Iyer at no.3 again.

Groin injury is very common among sportspersons and especially cricketers. Immediate rest is advised after the injury is ascertained, and medical professionals usually advise extended bed rest for quick recovery from the injury.

This is not the first time when Kohli has been ruled out due to an injury this year. In January, the former India captain - then skipper of the Test side -- was forced to miss the second Test of the series against South Africa in Johannesburg due to an upper-back spasm. KL Rahul had led the side in Kohli's absence then. Kohli had made a return in the next game and stepped down from the leadership role following the completion of the series.

While away from action, the Indian batter was recently seen with one of his former teammates, Dwaraka Ravi Teja in England. The 34-year-old -- one of Kohli's U-15 teamates -- had shared a picture with him on his official Twitter profile and also revealed that he had nicknamed Kohli 'Chiru', sharing the story behind the same.

Amid his injury setback, Kohli's poor form has drawn widespread criticism with the likes of Kapil Dev questioning his place in the T20I side. However, captain Rohit Sharma had strongly backed Kohli, insisting that the quality of the player never comes down.

“If you talk of form, it goes up and down for everyone. The quality of a player never goes down and we should remember that. When you make certain comments, you should always remember that the quality of a player does not go down. We back that quality. It has happened with me, it has happened with XYZ, it has happened with everyone, it is nothing new,” Rohit had said after the end of the T20I series last week.

The second match of the ODI series begins at 5:30 PM (IST) at Lord's, London.