Ahead of the start of the first ODI of the three-match series between India and England, Rohit Sharma was seen playfully kicking his former Indian teammate Dinesh Karthik at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham as he came out for pre-match training.
Both were seen greeting each other and then Dinesh Karthik said something funny; The exact words were not heard, but it was captured that both of them were laughing. Suddenly, Rohit Sharma used his knee to kick the former wicketkeeper batsman. After this, 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 during the entire T20 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 before the Birmingham ODI match. pic.twitter.com/bxmVvFH6wN
тАФ 125manchester (@pantasticxcuts) July 14, 2026
Karthik has a great relationship with Rohit Sharma, as he played under him while Rohit was the captain of 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 wicketkeeper now serves as the franchise’s batting coach and mentor.
Rohit Sharma’s eyes are on achieving new heights
Rohit Sharma had a good series against Afghanistan, he scored a total of 143 runs with a half-century in the 3-match bilateral ODI series against Afghanistan in June 2026 and looked in good touch. He returns to England after four years since the team last played an ODI here.
Rohit spent almost an hour batting during an extended net session at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday and more importantly, he batted in the open nets to get more experience of the fielding position. The 39-year-old is on the verge of achieving many records in England, he needs one more century to become the Indian opener with the most centuries.
Virat Kohli has returned to the ODI team
On the other hand, Virat Kohli is back in the team 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 as the leading run-getter for the Men in Blue.
Virat Kohli has been the best batsman for India at the number 3 position. Over the years, he has remained consistent in that position in the 50-over format. In this series, he will look to continue his ODI form that he had earlier in 2026, as he needs 203 runs to become the fastest batsman to score 15,000 ODI runs, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
England saved from Jasprit Bumrah’s difficult spell
Talking about the match, England won the toss and decided to bat first; They started cautiously with Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethel. The first power play is over and the Three Lions have not lost a single wicket so far.
Jasprit Bumrah bowled a brilliant spell in the first four overs and gave only 8 runs. Prasidh Krishna also bowled well and bowled four overs with one maiden over. India would like to restrict England to a score lower than that.
