India's senior trio returns for first ODI vs England

India's senior stars Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah returned to international cricket together for the first time in over two and a half years on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, as the touring side faced England in the first ODI at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The match marks the start of a three-game series that both teams view as a critical examination ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

India enters the contest seeking its first victory on its tour of the United Kingdom, having been swept 4-0 by England in a preceding T20I series after a 2-0 loss to Ireland. Captain Shubman Gill, speaking before the match, emphasized the value of the returning veterans, calling Kohli and Sharma the backbone of the batting lineup for the past decade and expressing hope that Bumrah's return would bolster the bowling attack. Bumrah is playing his first ODI since the 2023 World Cup final.

England, brimming with confidence from its T20I dominance, is led by Harry Brook. The hosts counter India's experienced duo of Kohli and Sharma with their own seasoned campaigners, Joe Root and Jos Buttler. Root is England's all-time leading run-scorer in ODIs, while Buttler ranks third. The series also features a...