India’s Virat Kohli has given a huge headache to the team management after it was revealed that he had a swollen knee and hence missed the first ODI of the three-match Series against England in Nagpur.

Before the toss, Kohli was seen gingerly going through the training motions, his right knee heavily strapped. He moved with a slightly lower intensity and hobbled a bit, with physio Kamlesh Jain keeping a close watch on his movements. But it didn't seem the injury would keep him out.

However, when the toss happened, Rohit Sharma revealed that Kohli indeed had a knee injury to keep him out of the game. Hence Yashasvi Jaiswal made his ODI debut and Shubman Gill moved to the no.3 spot in the batting order.

The injury may not have appeared serious at first, but with the Champions Trophy approaching, his fitness is becoming a concern. According to sources inside the team's support staff, the decision to rest Kohli was made late Wednesday night.

"His right knee was fine during practice, but once we got back to the hotel, it swelled up. It doesn't seem that bad though. He will play the Cuttack ODI in all likelihood,” a source told Times Of India.

The 36-year-old has not yet undergone scans. It would be fascinating to see if Kohli will travel to Bengaluru for a quick check-up at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) or join the team in Cuttack for the next game.

Kohli last missed a game due to injury in 2022, when an upper back spasm prevented him from playing a Test against South Africa. Before that, in 2021, a stiff back forced him to miss a warm-up match versus Select County XI.

In 2017, he missed the fourth Test against Australia because a courageous attempt to stop a boundary in Ranchi left him with a right shoulder injury.

The second ODI will be played in Cuttack on February 9 and the final match will be played on February 12 in Ahmedabad.