Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli leave no stone unturned ahead of England…

After the abject showing that we saw from the Indian T20I team, fans would be thrilled to know that their favourite duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are back in Indian colours. And India’s senior stars are wasting no time before the ODI series against England. With the opening match at Edgbaston just around the corner, Rohit and Kohli were among the busiest players during India’s training sessions in Birmingham.

While there will be a sense of calmness with the return of Jasprit Bumrah as well, the sight of Rohit and Kohli putting in long hours at the nets will always draw massive attention. Both veterans know that every ODI from now on is part of a bigger journey leading towards the 2027 World Cup. Every innings will be criticised. So, that brings a different kind of pressure.

Rohit Sharma does match simulation to prepare

Rohit, who now plays only the 50-over format, had arrived in England ahead of most teammates to begin preparations. The former captain spent close to an hour batting on Sunday after starting his session with extensive fielding drills under the watchful eye of fielding coach T. Dilip, whose coaching is under massive uncertainty.

Interestingly, Rohit appeared determined to recreate different match situations. As per Times of India, he switched nets multiple times, changed ends after initially looking uncomfortable, and eventually moved into an open-net simulation where fielders were positioned around him. As the session progressed, the 39-year-old looked settled, repeatedly finding gaps through the off side and striking the ball with more confidence.

India squad for England ODI series

Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar

Rohit returns to a happy hunting ground

England has traditionally been one of Rohit’s favourite destinations in ODI cricket.

The Indian opener has scored 1,428 runs in 27 matches in England at an outstanding average of 64.90, including seven centuries and seven fifties. Much of that success came during the 2019 World Cup, where he produced one of the greatest batting campaigns in tournament history with five hundreds.

#ViratKohli's masterclass shows no signs of slowing down!

The stage is set at Edgbaston, the stakes are massive, and the King is locked in #ENGvIND 1st ODI | TUE, 14 JULY | LIVE on JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/hO0WWSEU1N

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 13, 2026

His last ODI appearance in England came four years ago, when he managed scores of 76 not out, 0 and 17 in a bilateral series.

The upcoming three-match contest, therefore, marks return for the veteran, who was last seen in ODI action against Afghanistan earlier this year. In that series, he scored 16, 48 and 79. Although Yashasvi Jaiswal hit hundred in the last game, Rohit’s inclusion in the team is a no-brainer. He has done it for the country for almost two decades now, and want to continue till the ODI World Cup in South Africa.

Kohli faces pace before sharing advice

Meanwhile, Kohli, who has now shifted his residence in England, had his training as well.

Having focused heavily on spin bowling during Saturday’s session, Kohli spent much of Sunday taking on seamers. Jasprit Bumrah, Gurnoor Brar and a local club quick tested him with sharp deliveries in a high-intensity workout alongside Gill and KL Rahul.

As per reports, there were moments when Kohli looked challenged by the movement and bounce, but once the spinners entered the session, he appeared far more comfortable and fluent.

The former India captain also continued his habit of mentoring younger teammates. After training, Kohli spent time chatting with talented pacer Brar, offering advice and sharing observations from the session. Brar did so well in his debut series against Afghanistan. But Kohli wasn’t there as he missed the series due to a hamstring injury.

Now, the former Indian captain could see Grar excel in English conditions. Meanwhile, India will have one final practice day before the series begins on July 14. The players who were part of the T20I squad, including the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, will practise on Monday.

India vs England ODIs schedule

Match	Date	Venue	Time (IST)
1st ODI	July 14 (Tuesday)	Edgbaston, Birmingham	3:30 PM
2nd ODI	July 16 (Thursday)	Sophia Gardens, Cardiff	5:30 PM
3rd ODI	July 19 (Sunday)	Lord’s, London	3:30 PM

The post Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli leave no stone unturned ahead of England ODIs at Edgbaston appeared first on Inside Sport India.

India failed to adapt to English conditions and were outplayed in all departments by England and Ireland, new skipper Shreyas Iyer said, adding that the experience would only make him a better leader. Iyer endured a disastrous start to his captaincy after taking over from Suryakumar Yadav following India's T20 World Cup triumph, as the team suffered a 0-2 defeat to Ireland before losing the T20I series 0-4 to England after the opening game was washed out.

"It's not hard, honestly," said Iyer when asked how he dealt with the expectations during the post-match press conference. "I feel it's a privilege for me to take over the captaincy. Every individual dreams of captaining for the Indian team and taking on from high. Definitely, I love pressure.

"So, for me to thrive under pressure, to learn from these moments is definitely going to make me better going forward. And that's my mindset right now. Not thinking much about how people are going to think about this particular series because good and bad is part and parcel of this game." Iyer said maintaining a positive mindset is going to be the key. "Going forward, I need to be extremely positive enough in how I'm going to basically nurture everyone who is playing around me and especially in overseas conditions," he said.

"We know we are going to play in Australia and many other cities before that. So, the best camaraderie to fit in these conditions is our goal and going forward, that is going to be our plan." India suffered a 56-run loss against England in the fifth and final T20 at The Rose Bowl on Saturday and Iyer admitted they just couldn't adapt to the conditions quickly during the tour. "...we kept on going from one venue to another and we kept on facing challenges especially in terms of the dimensions, the grounds, the conditions.

"Just to adapt to it as quickly as we could have anticipated that didn't happen, that was one challenge and the other one is definitely they outplayed us in all departments I would say. So, I think combinations of all these points definitely led to this result," Iyer said. The six-match losing streak saw India slip from the No. 1 ranking in T20Is. "It definitely hurts. But I feel that it's a great learning for me as a captain and also for other players who have played here for the first time. It's all about how you turn up for the tournament," the Mumbaikar said.

"You can't just have that mindset that you will come to England and you will win the series. You need to work hard, you need to be focused which we were as a team. "But I personally feel that they played exceptional cricket throughout in all three departments. So, probably the results also went in their favour because they were comprehensive in all three departments." On the significance of the world No. 1 ranking, Iyer said: "It matters to everyone. If you're number one, I feel you've been doing something great for the team and also personally. And thinking about the World Cup, it's two years from now.

"Everything that's happening around right now is a preparation to the World Cup. So, the earlier and the quicker we learn, it's beneficial for the team environment and also for the players who are coming in here." Iyer also singled out fielding as an area where India needs to improve to prosper as a team.

"See, majority of us we have played together in the IPL. We know our strengths and weaknesses. Just in terms of the fielding, I think it plays a key role especially building that momentum and energy around the team environment...," he said. "I think we were definitely dominated by them in that aspect and why I feel fielding is very important is because it basically creates a rhythm in the team in all the matches.

"So, especially in T20 where your fitness demands, you need to be agile, you need to be aware about how the conditions are going to be and especially different outfields and different wickets. So, that's one department if we are probably the best, if we basically dream to be the best team-wise, we will definitely prosper."

Asked why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dropped, Iyer said the team wanted a right-hander and therefore brought back the experienced Sanju Samson. "We needed to try the best combination that would be perfect on these conditions. And we also wanted a right-hander to go on with Abhishek (Sharma). So, that was one of the major reasons," he said.

"I was the only one out of all the left-handers who was a right-hander. We wanted to try a different combination which would be suitable for this particular game. "And he's a gun batsman. He has won so many series for us in the past. So, yeah, one of those reasons."

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No. of defeats suffered by India in the just-concluded T20I series vs England — their most in a T20 series/tournament

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India will shift their attention to the three-match ODI series against England, hoping to leave behind the disappointment of a 4-0 defeat in the recently concluded T20I series. While the shortest format exposed several concerns, the return to 50-over cricket will bring back India’s most experienced batting pair, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, whose records in England highlight their class and quality.

The last time when India toured England for an ODI series, they sealed the series with a 2-1 margin. As both the sides are preparing to meet again, India will look for the guidance of the veteran duo as both of them have enjoyed remarkable success in England.

Rohit’s love affair with England

Rohit has been one of India’s most consistent ODI batters in England over the years. In 27 innings, the former India captain has scored 1,428 runs at an average of 64.90 while striking at 90.78. His total also includes seven centuries and seven half-centuries, highlighting his ability to convert starts into match-winning knocks.

Across his ODI career, Rohit has scored 11,720 runs in 285 matches at an average of 48.83 and a strike rate of 92.97. Although his appearances have been limited this year, he has shown encouraging signs. In six ODIs in 2026, Rohit has scored 204 runs and he will be aiming to continue the momentum in conditions that he normally enjoys.

Kohli’s consistency in England

Kohli, on the other hand, has been equally destructive in England. The former India captain has scored 1,349 runs in 33 ODI innings at an average of 51.88 and a strike rate of 91.21. While he has registered only one century in England, his 12 half-centuries highlights his consistency and ability to anchor the innings.

Overall, Kohli continues to be one of the greatest ODI batters the world has ever seen. He has accumulated 14,797 runs from 311 matches at an impressive average of 58.71 and a strike rate of 93.82.

The 37-year-old will also enter the series in encouraging form. In India’s three-match ODI series against New Zealand, earlier this year, he scored 240 runs highlighting his ability to deliver in the format. He was ruled out from the ODI series against Afghanistan after suffering a hamstring injury during the IPL, but he is now set to return to action in England.

India will begin their ODI campaign on July 14 in Birmingham, where Rohit and Kohli will look to lead the team from the front and help India end their tour on a winning note.

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The post Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to familiar territory as India aim to finish England tour on a high appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Florida [US], July 13 (ANI): Norway striker Erling Haaland thanked fans for their support after his side’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign came to an end with a 2-1 defeat to England in the quarter-finals.

Taking to X, the Manchester City forward reflected on Norway’s memorable run in the tournament and expressed his gratitude to supporters.

“It’s been quite a ride, thank you for making it so special," Haaland wrote on X.

It’s been quite a row, thank you for making it so special pic.twitter.com/SugqGCvWn5

— Erling Haaland (@Erling) July 12, 2026

Norway’s historic World Cup journey ended after England secured a 2-1 victory to book a place in the semi-finals, where they will face defending champions Argentina, who defeated Switzerland 3-1.

Norway had taken the lead in Miami through Andreas Schjelderup after a bright opening spell in which Erling Haaland also tested Jordan Pickford.

pic.twitter.com/ZT1ieod1oi

— Erling Haaland (@Erling) July 12, 2026

However, Bellingham struck in first-half stoppage time to restore parity before scoring again in extra time after goalkeeper Orjan Nyland spilt a Morgan Rogers effort into his path.

England eventually secured a 2-1 victory to book a semi-final clash against defending champions Argentina, bringing an end to Norway’s best-ever FIFA World Cup campaign.

pic.twitter.com/4seSJCuG9J

— Erling Haaland (@Erling) July 12, 2026

The quarter-final marked a historic milestone for Norway, which reached the last eight for the first time in tournament history after returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

Despite the heartbreaking exit, Erling Haaland enjoyed another outstanding tournament. The striker scored in every group-stage match as well as in the Round of 32 and Round of 16, finishing as Norway’s top scorer with seven goals. (ANI)

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London [UK], July 13 (ANI): Despite being unhappy with the trophy he accepted at Wimbledon 2026, Alexander Zverev is proud of his journey despite losing to top-seeded Jannik Sinner in the men’s singles final on Sunday.

After finishing as runner-up in the men’s singles at Wimbledon 2026, Alexander Zverev shared a post on Instagram with a picture of him holding the runners-up trophy alongside the winner Jannik Sinner.

He wrote, “Not the trophy I wanted to hold, but still one to be proud of. Thanks for your support over these last two weeks. See you next year @wimbledon."

Earlier, Alexander Zverev graciously congratulated the Italian after the match and hailed him as the “best player in the world" following his successful title defence.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony after the final, Zverev acknowledged Sinner’s dominance, joking about his losing streak against the World No. 1 before praising his consistency at the highest level.

“Yeah, first of all, Jannik. I don’t really like you anymore. I lost to you 9 times in a row," Zverev said with a smile.

“Congratulations to Jannik. He showed once again why he’s the best player in the world. It was great to share Centre Court with you on finals weekend. It’s a great honour to be here. Unfortunately, it didn’t go my way, but congratulations first of all," he added.

The German also congratulated Sinner’s coaching team, crediting them for playing a vital role in the Italian’s rise from outside the top 10 to becoming a multiple Grand Slam champion and World No 1.

“Also, congrats to Jannik’s team. You guys have been together for many, many years now. You guys are World No. 1 now, but you started outside of the top 10 and worked your way into being Grand Slam champions and World No. 1. It’s definitely a team effort. Jannik is the first one to admit it. Congratulations to you guys. You really deserve it," Zverev said.

Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon men’s singles title with a 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Alexander Zverev, claiming his fifth Grand Slam title and first major crown of the 2026 season.

The win made Sinner the 10th player to retain the Wimbledon men’s singles title and extended his winning streak against Zverev to 10 matches.

The Italian bounced back from an early French Open exit to secure his sixth ATP title of the year, while Zverev’s hopes of winning back-to-back Grand Slams ended despite reaching his second consecutive major final. (ANI)

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