All eyes will be on Virat Kohli when Team India will take the field in IND vs ENG at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday, October 29. The Men in Blue is the only undefeated team in the Cricket World Cup so far and with the struggle England has shown in the tournament, the Kohli, will be confident of completing that record equaling 49th ton.
The 34-year-old came agonisingly close to equaling Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most ODI centuries in the last game against New Zealand. Kohli was on 95 when a mistimed pull shot cut short his stunning innings.
The former Indian skipper has been in impressive form in the current World Cup, being second among the tournament’s highest run-scorers. However, it’s not just his World Cup performance that demands attention. Kohli’s overall record in ODIs against England is equally remarkable. In 35 ODIs against England, he has amassed 1340 runs, including three centuries.
Notably, the IND vs ENG match will mark Virat Kohli’s first international appearance at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. He has played only one IPL match in this venue, where he scored 31 runs.
Rohit return to his happy hunting ground
On the other hand, India’s captain Rohit Sharma, who will be leading the national team for the 100th time, boasts an impressive record at the same venue. In just three matches played at Ekana, he has accumulated an impressive 192 runs, at an astounding average of 96. His highest score at the stadium is 111 which came in 2nd T20I against West Indies in 2018.
The 36-year-old is also on the verge of completing 18000 runs in international cricket. Rohit needs just 47 runs to become the fifth Indian player to do so.
With records and milestones in sight and form in hand, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be the players to watch out for against Jos Buttler and Co.
India Squad for Cricket World Cup 2023
Batters: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav
WKs: Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul (VC)
Seam all-rounders: Shardul Thakur
Spin all-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin
Seamers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Spinner: Kuldeep Yadav