India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli, will be in the spotlight as they return to international cricket following a disappointing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Both players, who struggled to meet expectations during the Australia tour, will face renewed scrutiny as the team begins preparations for the Champions Trophy 2025.
The positive aspect, however, is that they are returning to the format in which they have achieved the highest success in their careers. Kohli, with 13,906 runs, currently holds third place on the all-time list, closing in on Kumar Sangakkara’s 14,234 runs. Meanwhile, Rohit, with 10,866 runs, is poised to surpass Rahul Dravid (10,889) and secure a spot in the top 10.
Big Boy Return
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The two veteran players reached the pinnacle of their ODI careers under the coaching of Rahul Dravid between 2022 and 2024, when they revolutionized India’s approach to the format. This aggressive style of play helped India dominate their opponents during the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, their plans were undone in the final, where they lost to Australia.
Following the defeat in the 2023 World Cup final, it felt as though India had moved away from the format. Since then, they have played the fewest matches in ODIs—just six in total.
The first three were in December 2023, when a second-string Indian team toured South Africa. The remaining three matches took place in August 2024, when India lost the series 0-2 to Sri Lanka.
Sharma addressed the lack of continuity in the format, acknowledging that it might be challenging for the team to replicate the aggression and performance from the World Cup.
On the other hand, England will be eager to bounce back and make a statement after their disappointing loss in the T20I series. Key players such as Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Adil Rashid, and Jofra Archer are expected to play crucial roles for the visiting team.
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When and Where
The India vs England 1st ODI match will be played at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur, on Thursday, Feb. 6. The match begins at 1:30 PM IST/8 AM BST and 3 AM ET.
How to Watch
Fans in the United States can watch the India vs England 1st ODI match live on Willow TV.
Fans in the United Kingdom can watch the India vs England 1st ODI match live on TNT Sport.
Fans in India can watch the India vs England 1st ODI match live on Star Sports Network, including Star Sports 1 (HD & SD), Star Sports 1 Hindi (HD & SD), Star Sports 1 Tamil (HD & SD), Star Sports 1 Telugu (HD & SD) and Star Sports 1 Kannada (SD).
How to Live Stream
Fans in the United States, can watch the live streaming of India vs England 1st ODI match on SlingTV.
Fans in United Kingdom can watch the live streaming of India vs England 1st ODI match on Discovery+
Fans can watch the India vs England 1st ODI match live streaming in India on Disney+ Hotstar.
