Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli return as BCCI announces India ODI squad for England series, Hardik Pandya ruled out

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday, June 21 announced India’s squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, marking the return of senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the 50-over setup for the first time since January.

The squad announcement comes ahead of India’s white-ball tour of Europe, scheduled to begin in July 2026, and includes major injury updates along with several notable selection decisions across formats.

Virat Kohli has been included in the ODI squad despite sustaining a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad last month. However, the BCCI stated that his participation in the England series remains subject to mandatory fitness clearance.

In a setback for the Indian camp, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the England assignment after failing to recover fully from an injury suffered during the IPL 2026 season.

The Men’s Selection Committee named a 15-member ODI squad under the leadership of Shubman Gill, with Shreyas Iyer appointed vice-captain.

The squad includes Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar.

India received a major boost with the return of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is set to feature in ODI cricket for the first time since the 2023 World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. His comeback strengthens India’s pace resources ahead of an important overseas assignment.

The pace unit for the England series comprises Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Gurnoor Brar and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. Mohammed Siraj has not been included in the squad.

One of the key selection decisions was the exclusion of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal despite his ODI century against Afghanistan in Chennai. His omission comes amid increased competition in the top order following the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Rohit’s position had also come under scrutiny after a mixed outing in the Afghanistan ODI series, where he registered scores of 14, 48 and 79. Speaking earlier on team combinations, captain Shubman Gill described the selection dilemma as a “good headache” and indicated that final decisions would depend on fitness and overall balance.

The ODI series against England will begin at Edgbaston on July 14, followed by matches at Sophia Gardens on July 16 and Lord’s on July 19.

Meanwhile, the BCCI also provided an update on India’s T20I preparations, confirming that mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out of the Ireland series as he continues rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence following a left foot injury sustained during IPL 2026.

For the Ireland T20Is, Shreyas Iyer will lead the side with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain.

India’s white-ball tour of Europe will begin with T20Is before moving into the England leg and concluding with the ODI series, a campaign expected to play an important role in shaping India’s combinations ahead of future global tournaments.