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India Test legend Cheteshwar Pujara has predicted that Virat Kohli will cross the 15,000-run mark in ODI cricket during the upcoming series against the England National Cricket Team.
Cheteshwar Pujara has also backed Rohit Sharma to get the better of the star pacer Jofra Archer in the much-anticipated contest in the upcoming series.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli grinding hard in the nets before England ODIs
Ahead of the three-match ODI series against England, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had already hit the nets last Saturday. The two stalwarts landed in Birmingham on Saturday, the day of India’s final T20I game. They looked in good shape and also had fun during the first training session and will look to take charge of the ODIs and score runs.
Virat Kohli returns to the ODI squad after missing out on the Afghanistan series due to a hamstring injury, which he suffered during the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final.
He went to CoE, achieved the fitness certificate, and joined the squad ahead of the series. Kohli looked in good touch during the net session on Saturday.
Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, played the Afghanistan series and scored a total of 143 runs in 3 innings, with one half-century.
He looked in decent touch and worked hard in the first training session last Saturday ahead of the ODI series. Rohit will be looking to score some big runs in this series to regain his form.
Cheteshwar Pujara predicts Virat Kohli's 15,000-run milestone
Time for some honest opinions 🤔#CheteshwarPujara takes on the Agree x Disagree Challenge, sharing his views on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and more ahead of the 1st ODI. 🏏
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 13, 2026
Which take do you agree with the most? 💬#ENGvIND 1st ODI | TUE, 14 JULY, 2:30 PM | LIVE… pic.twitter.com/89qt9438OC
Virat Kohli has scored 14,797 runs in his ODI career across 311 matches, making him the second-highest run-scorer in the history of the format. He is just 203 runs away from achieving the 15,000-run mark. He is just behind Sachin Tendulkar, who has scored 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs.
Cheteshwar Pujara believes that Kohli will be able to achieve the 15,000-run mark in this series against England. Kohli has been in sensational form in the last few series he has played.
Pujara also stated that he loves playing in England, as he has accumulated 1,096 runs across 29 matches, featuring two centuries and six half-centuries, at an average of 33.21.
The India Test great stated while speaking on Star Sports, "Yes, very likely that he will get to 15,000 runs. And he loves playing in English conditions. He loves the challenge. So, I am very confident that he will get to that figure very soon, as he loves the ball coming onto the bat."
Cheteshwar Pujara gives his verdict on Rohit Sharma vs Jofra Archer battle
Pujara also spoke about whether Rohit Sharma can handle Jofra Archer's current form. The former batter believes that the former India captain will be handling Archer well, as the speedster has not been able to dismiss the India opener once in his career in the 50-over format; he has faced 13 balls, scoring 28 runs against the England pacer.
Pujara said, "Rohit has faced different bowlers in the world. He has the experience of playing in English conditions. He will prepare well before the series. And he will be ready to face Jofra Archer when the first game starts."
