Virat Kohli Still At CoE, Will He Play IND vs ENG ODIs?

Virat Kohli sustained an injury during the IPL 2026 finals [Source: AFP]Virat Kohli has been picked in the Indian ODI squad for the England tour, but his selection has been on the basis of “subject to fitness.” The legendary player sustained an injury during the IPL 2026 finale vs the Gujarat Titans, and since then has been out of the game.He was ruled out of the Afghanistan ODI series, and subsequently, Kohli had to visit BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to get the fitness clearance before the England ODIs begin next month.Kohli sustained hamstring injury in IPL 2026 finalThe former India captain, Kohli, is arguably the fittest cricketer in the world, but sometimes, even the fittest get injured. This is what happened with the 37-year-old star as he sustained a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 finale.Kohli fielded for the entirety of the 20 overs and then batted till the end of the game, but he injured his hamstring while batting. He continued to play despite the injury, and even though RCB won the finals, Kohli was unable to participate in the Afghanistan matches.He was then asked by the team management to report to the CoE before the England squad was revealed, and reportedly, Kohli cleared his fitness test.Kohli spotted in CoE despite getting fitness clearanceAccording to Sports Tak, India’s number 3 had cleared his fitness test and was one hundred percent ready for the upcoming England tour. As a result, he was even picked by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel for the England matches.Also Read: Virat Kohli Not Cleared; India ODI Squad For England Tour AnnouncedHowever, the latest visuals have sparked rumours that Kohli might not be fully fit ahead of the England ODI series. In a photo that has gone viral, the legendary batter could be seen with India’s Under-19 captain, Ayush Mhatre, who has been rehabilitating in the CoE.CREX @Crex_live Ayush Mhatre and Virat kohli at BCCI CoE 🤩 #Cricket #ViratKohli #TeamIndia Jun 27, 2026, 2:02 PM The right-handed batter could be seen all smiling, but his presence in the CoE has suggested that Kohli could still be recovering from the injury he sustained in the IPL.Virat Kohli Suffers Rare Distal Semimembranosus Tendon TearReportedly, Kohli suffered from a rare injury that is quite uncommon for athletes. The champion player had a distal semimembranosus tendon tear.A distal semimembranosus tendon tear is a rupture of the lower hamstring tendon near the back of the knee. It is one of the three main hamstring muscles running down the back of the thigh.The injury takes approximately 1.5-3 months to heal, depending on the seriousness of the injury. In serious conditions, one can also undergo surgery.Will Kohli play in IND Vs ENG ODI series?Officially, the BCCI has not declared Virat Kohli fit for the England series; however, media reports have clearly stated that he is raring to go. Moreover, the BCCI selection panel wouldn’t have picked the veteran had he not been given the fitness clearance by the CoE doctors.In all likelihood, the player with the most ODI hundreds could be going through his final rehabilitation program before he gets the clean chit from the doctors at CoE.Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Denied T20I Debut By India Legend Despite Ireland Defeat