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Before the start of the 1st ODI of the three-match series between India and England, Rohit Sharma was seen playfully kicking his former India teammate Dinesh Karthik at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham while he was coming out for training ahead of the match.
The two were seen greeting each other, and then Dinesh Karthik said something funny; the exact words were not heard, but it was captured that both were laughing. Suddenly, Rohit Sharma used his knee to playfully kick the former wicket-keeper batter. Following that, Karthik was seen hugging Virat Kohli, who shares the same dressing room during the IPL for RCB.
Dinesh Karthik's relationship with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
Dinesh Karthik is on the commentary panel for Sky Sports (UK broadcaster) and Sony Sports Network (Indian broadcaster) during the India vs England bilateral series. He was there for the whole of the T20I series and will now be seen in the ODI series as well.
Rohit 🤣 pic.twitter.com/qg56uOPCxC
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) July 14, 2026
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma with Dinesh Karthik ahead of Birmingham odi match👀. pic.twitter.com/bxmVvFH6wN
— 125Manchester (@pantasticxcuts) July 14, 2026
Karthik has a brilliant relationship with Rohit Sharma, as he played under him while the latter was the captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL and then in the India National Cricket Team. While Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik played for RCB, the former wicket-keeper now serves as the batting coach and mentor of the franchise.
Rohit Sharma eyes new milestones
Rohit Sharma had a decent series against Afghanistan as he scored a total of 143 runs in the 3-match bilateral ODI series against Afghanistan in June 2026 with one half-century and looked in good touch. He comes back to England after four years since the team last played an ODI here.
Rohit spent nearly an hour batting during an extended net session at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday, and more importantly, he batted in an open net to get more feel of the fielding position. The 39-year-old is on the verge of achieving many records in England, needing one more century to become the Indian opener with the most centuries.
Virat Kohli is back in the ODI side
On the other hand, Virat Kohli is back in the side after missing the Afghanistan series due to a hamstring injury. He also had a stellar IPL season, finishing as the leading run-getter for RCB, and before that, he finished the ODI series against South Africa and New Zealand on a high as the leading run-getter for the Men in Blue side.
Virat Kohli has been the best batter for India at the No.3 position. Over the years, he has been consistent in that position in the 50-over format. In this series, he would like to continue his ODI form that he had earlier in 2026, as he needs 203 runs to become the fastest batter to 15,000 ODI runs, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record.
England survives tough spell from Jasprit Bumrah
Coming to the match, England won the toss and elected to bat first; they had a cautious start with Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell. The first power play is up, and the Three Lions have not lost a wicket so far.
Jasprit Bumrah bowled an amazing first four-over spell, giving out just 8 runs. Prasidh Krishna also bowled well, bowling four overs with one maiden over. India will look to restrict England to a below-par score.
