There was plenty of star power off the field as the former India captain faced off in the opening ODI between India and England at Edgbaston on Tuesday ms dhoni and bollywood actress Kriti Sanon Spotted watching the match in the stands.

The celebrity duo captured the attention of fans and broadcasters with their visuals during England’s innings Dhoni And Kriti is becoming increasingly popular on social media. His presence increased the hype surrounding the opening match of the series, which also included the return of several senior Indian players Virat Kohli, Rohit SharmaKL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah. While the cameras kept panning towards the VIP stands, the spectators were also kept entertained by the activities happening on the field. England, who won the toss and elected to bat first, were reduced to 107 for six without any loss due to constant pressure from the Indian bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah, returning after a six-week workload management break, bowled brilliantly despite taking 1 wicket for 31 runs. The fast bowler bowled 36 dot balls and continuously troubled the England top order with his movement and bounce. Young left-arm fast bowler Gurnoor Brar took two wickets in three balls, dismissing Jacob Bethel and Ben Duckett, while Prasidh Krishna was dismissed. jos buttler And Sam Curran put the hosts in trouble. However, Joe Root And Liam Dawson made a spirited comeback with a 121-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Root played a composed inning of 76 runs, while Dawson played a career-best inning of 68 runs to take England towards a competitive score. India eventually broke the stand through Axar Patel, who ran down the order and finished with career-best ODI figures of 4 for 62. His late burst ensured England were bowled out for 258 after threatening to post a much bigger score. Even when the contest started on the field, the presence of Dhoni and Kriti Sanon in the stands remained the biggest talking point among the fans, adding a touch of glamor to the series opener at Edgbaston.

On the eve of the first ODI in Birmingham, former India assistant coach Abhishek Nair made an appeal to the team management: support Kuldeep Yadav and give him a chance to play before next year’s World Cup.

England vs India, 1st ODI Achievement: | Update

The toss was cut short in the series opener and India, led by Shubman Gill, dropped Kuldeep Yadav and chose three all-rounders in their eleven.

Surprising, and yet, not surprising at the same time.

The Indian team, under head coach Gautam Gambhir, has consistently prioritized batting depth, often choosing all-rounders at the expense of quality in the bowling attack. This has been a recurring theme across all formats.

India chose Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Shivam Dubey in a six-man bowling attack for the series opener on Tuesday, which will be led by Jasprit Bumrah. There was no room for Kuldeep Yadav, one of India’s most aggressive spinners, especially in overseas conditions.

India XI: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna.

Many expected Kuldeep Yadav to be included in the XI, especially after Axar Patel and Washington Sundar struggled in the recently concluded T20 series. Which India lost 0-4. Incidentally, India ousted Washington for the final T20I on Saturday and captain Shreyas Iyer did not hold back in assessing the bowling performance of the Tamil Nadu all-rounder.

Kuldeep, who was not part of the T20 squad, missed out as India opted to bat deep at No. 8.

The absence of Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana, both of whom add depth to the batting unit, worked against Kuldeep’s chances.

Since the end of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Kuldeep Yadav has played six of India’s 10 ODI matches in overseas conditions, while finger spinners Washington Sundar (eight) and Axar Patel (10) have featured more regularly. During the same period across all formats, Kuldeep has played only 11 matches, while Washington has played 26 and Axar has played 30 matches.

no x factor

After Kuldeep was dropped from the playing eleven, Abhishek Nair, speaking to GeoStar, said that India are sacrificing an X-factor bowler for batting depth.

“You want depth in batting, but not at the expense of taking wickets,” Nair said.

“At the end of the day, you win games by taking wickets. Anybody will tell you this. A team that reached the IPL final did so because it had a bowling attack capable of taking wickets. If your attack can’t do that, it doesn’t matter how much batting you have – you will struggle.

“In this line-up, you have Prasidh Krishna, who can take wickets, and Jasprit Bumrah, who can take wickets. Gurnoor Brar is an unknown number at this level, and we hope he does well.

“Also, your other bowling options are more economical than attacking. Axar Patel takes wickets when batsmen take risks against him, when the pitch provides support, or when they try to force the scoring rate.

“For me, having Kuldeep Yadav gives you the X-factor in the middle overs.”

India were boosted by the return of Jasprit Bumrah, who was playing his first ODI since the 2023 World Cup final. India also picked Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar in place of Arshdeep Singh, who was rested after a heavy workload during the T20 series. Gurnoor impressed in his first ODI series against Afghanistan on home soil.

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India vs England 1st ODI Live Score: India will begin their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup when they take on England in the first match of the three-match series at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Tuesday.

After a disappointing T20I campaign, the focus has now shifted to the 50-over format with the return of several senior players expected to strengthen the visitors.

The biggest boost for India is the return of the team’s three most experienced players in ODIs, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.

His return gives captain Shubman Gill an almost full-strength squad as India begin to form combinations for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.

It is expected that Rohit and Gill will open the innings once again. The pair average 60.9 in ODIs and will try to give India a solid start.

Gill is in excellent form. He has scored 373 runs in five ODI innings this year at an average of 93.3 and strike rate of 117, which includes one century and three half-centuries.

Virat Kohli also returned with major milestones within reach.

The first ODI at Edgbaston will be his 300th ODI innings, while another good series could take him past 15,000 ODI runs.

The former India captain has also been in exceptional form in this format, scoring an average of 123 in his last seven ODI innings since the start of 2025.

KL Rahul, who scored 139 runs against Afghanistan in India’s last ODI series, is expected to bat in the middle order and keep wickets. Shreyas Iyer is set to return to his preferred number 4 position.

squads

England: Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethel, Jos Buttler (wk), James Coles, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Josh Tong.

India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has strengthened its commitment to Afghan refugee women cricketers by supporting the continuation of its Development Pathway program and setting a target of integrating the team into ICC qualification events by 2030. The decision was confirmed during the ICC annual conference in Edinburgh, where the governing body also reconstituted a special task force to draw up a long-term roadmap for the team.

The move is a big milestone for a group of players who had cricket dreams Shattered after the return of Taliban to power in Afghanistan In August 2021. The regime’s restrictions on women’s education and sport effectively destroyed women’s cricket in the country, forcing dozens of players to flee and rebuild their lives in exile. Many eventually found refuge in Australia, while others settled in England and Canada.

The revised task force also includes representatives from the BCCI, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), as well as ICC Independent Director Dr Ross Rivas and ICC Chief Executive Committee member Sarah Keane. Its mandate is to develop a sustainable high-performance structure that can allow refugee teams to participate in ICC qualification pathways by the end of the decade.

“I am honored to join the ICC Special Task Force and contribute to this important initiative,” said Dr. Rivaz.

“The task force is tasked with developing a clear and sustainable roadmap that supports the continued development of Afghan refugee women cricketers through structured coaching, meaningful competitive opportunities and appropriate high-performance pathways.”

From Taliban rule to exile

The Afghanistan Cricket Board had given contracts to 25 female players in early 2021, but the Taliban takeover at the end of that year brought an abrupt end to organized women’s cricket in the country. Many players were forced to go into hiding before fleeing Afghanistan through dangerous routes.

Australia has played an important role in saving the team. Cricket Australia helped secure humanitarian visas for many players and their families, as well as integrate them into local clubs and training programs. The refugee side played their first match in exile under the name “Afghan Women’s XI” in Melbourne in January 2025.

The ICC subsequently established a dedicated support program in partnership with Cricket Australia, the ECB and the BCCI, providing funding, coaching, fitness assistance and training opportunities in their adopted countries.

England’s support and the path to 2030

England has also emerged as a major partner in the revival of Afghan women’s cricket. Over the past year, the ECB has helped organize tours and training camps, giving players a chance to reunite and compete together. The tours of India and England have strengthened the players’ belief that international cricket is within their reach.

Afghan refugee cricketer Firozha Afghan spoke about the importance of those opportunities.

“Over the past year, the opportunities to come together as a group and tour India and England have provided us with some of the most memorable experiences in our lives. The support of training with quality trainers at our home venues has played a big role in our progress,” he said.

“The long-term view of participation in the ICC Qualification Pathways gives us a clear goal to work towards, and we are determined to make the most of every opportunity during that journey.”

For Afghan players, the ICC’s 2030 target is much more than a cricket milestone. It provides hope that despite displacement and years of uncertainty, they will once again have the opportunity to compete on the international stage.

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times of India. com in birmingham: It has been a challenging three weeks for the Indian team in the United Kingdom. First a 2–0 defeat to Ireland, followed by a 4–0 defeat to England, ended their campaign. Six defeats in seven matches has indeed rekindled the big question: is India unable to adapt to foreign conditions in limited-overs cricket?This question becomes even more worrying considering the ODI World Cup to be held in South Africa after a little more than a year. India’s recent performance in the 50-over format has done little to ease those concerns as the team focuses on the ODI series in England, which begins with the first match at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Tuesday (July 14).Since July 2024, India have had a disappointing record in overseas bilateral ODI series: 0-2 against Sri Lanka and 1-2 against Australia. During this period, India also lost 1-2 to New Zealand at home.

but captain Shubman Gill Emphasizing that this is a new format, a new day and a chance to reset. He also acknowledged the importance of this series because the World Cup is just 15 months away.“It’s very different. Our mindset is that the combination for our World Cup preparation and the wickets we will get in South Africa will be similar to what we will play here. So, we will try to find a combination that works for us. In that sense, this is a very important series for us,” Gill said on the eve of the opening three-match ODI series.Talking about the combination, it will not be an easy task for coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Gill. All-rounders Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana are all unavailable due to injuries. Although Prince Yadav has been brought as a replacement for Rana, he may have to sit out. One of Gurnoor Brar, who has looked impressive during the three days of practice, or Prasidh Krishna could come into the XI. There will also be a tough challenge between Shivam Dubey and Washington Sundar.

Team India is training at Edgbaston ahead of its first ODI against England. (Photo Courtesy: Tanuj Lakhina)

If the Nets are any indication, Dubey bowled under bowling coach Morne Morkel on the main ground. Later, Rohit Sharma chatted with the 33-year-old and was seen giving some much-needed guidance to the player who has played only four matches since his debut in 2019.Gill admitted that the need to keep changing combinations has become frustrating.“Players love it [Rana and Reddy]He said, “We wanted them to play as many matches as possible before the World Cup so that if they get a chance to play in the World Cup, they feel satisfied.” “So in that sense we are a bit unfortunate because now that he has been injured, we need to try another combination. The playing XI or XII that we wanted to field before the series is no longer possible. In that sense, we are forced to make some changes, but it is not an unstable XI.

Players like Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy, we wanted them to play as many matches as possible before the World Cup, so that if they get a chance to play in the World Cup, they feel satisfied.

Shubman Gill

“Obviously, we wanted the players to gain more experience in big series like the England and New Zealand series later this year. The more opportunities the players get in high-pressure matches, the better chance they have to perform well going forward.”Virat, Rohit and Bumrah boosted India’s morale!Due to the disappointing results, it is a pressure-cooker situation for the youngsters in the team. It helps that he is supported by Virat Kohli, who has played 311 ODIs, Rohit Sharma (285) and Jasprit Bumrah (89).

Virat Kohli is training at the Edgbaston cricket ground ahead of India’s first ODI against England. (Photo Courtesy: Tanuj Lakhina)

There is an added layer of intrigue surrounding these three. Kohli returned for the first time since the IPL final after missing the ODI match against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury. Rohit arrived in England, where he has an excellent ODI record, averaging 64.9 in the country, which increased to 89.4 at Edgbaston. Meanwhile, Bumrah, playing his first ODI after the 2023 World Cup, ending a gap of 968 days, will be one to watch.When both teams face each other, a streak ends. India has defeated England in five consecutive ODIs, winning by huge margins of 100 and 142 runs during a series starting in July 2022. Meanwhile, England have won seven consecutive ODIs at Edgbaston since June 2015. That series included a 210-run win against New Zealand, a 10-wicket win against Sri Lanka, an eight-wicket win against Australia and an emphatic 238-run win against the West Indies.For India, this series is less about the final result and more about identifying the right team combination for next year’s ODI World Cup. The opening day of the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup begins at Edgbaston. Are Gill and Co. ready?