England white-ball coach Brendon McCullum reserved high praise for Team India star Virat Kohli ahead of the upcoming ODI series opener. He spoke about his experience of sharing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) dressing room with the ace batter in the past.

McCullum highlighted how Kohli has inspired generations and become a globally recognized figure during his illustrious career. The 44-year-old, however, joked that he would still want the former India captain to fail with the bat in the ODI series against England.

He said in a video posted by England Cricket on X:

Virat Kohli is set to return to action after being on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the IPL 2026 final. He was instrumental in RCB successfully defending their title, finishing with a tally of 675 runs across 16 innings at a strike rate of 165.85.

Indian ODI captain Shubman Gill confirmed that senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continue to be an integral part of the side on the road to the 2027 World Cup. The two former captains are at the fag end of their respective careers and remain active in just one format in international cricket, ODIs.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the England series, Gill remarked (via RevSportz):

The ODI series between India and England kicks off at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Tuesday, July 14.

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