Bhubaneswar: Indian cricket star Virat Kohli missed the first ODI against England in Nagpur due to a swollen right knee, an unusual incident for the fitness-conscious batter. Although he was seen warming up before the toss, his knee was heavily strapped, and he moved cautiously.

At the toss during the first ODI, India captain Rohit Sharma confirmed that Kohli was left out of the playing XI due to the knee issue.

However, according to a report by The Times of India, the team management is optimistic about his return for the second ODI in Barabati, Cuttack on February 9.

"His knee was fine during practice, but it swelled up after returning to the hotel. It doesn’t seem too serious, and he is likely to play in Cuttack," the newspaper quoted a team insider as saying.

If Kohli recovers in time, his return will be a big boost for India in the series.

The upcoming Barabati ODI has created a wave of excitement among cricket fans across Odisha. Enthusiastic cricket fans thronged the ticket counters at the Barabati Stadium on Thursday, despite the fact that all offline tickets for the upcoming India vs England ODI match had already been sold out.

The high anticipation for the India-England clash has led to massive demand for tickets. On Wednesday, chaotic scenes unfolded at the stadium as thousands of cricket lovers rushed to purchase tickets. The heavy crowding created a stampede-like situation.

Those who have purchased tickets online can redeem them from February 7 to 9 at two locations: Cambridge School in Cuttack and KIIT University in Bhubaneswar. The redemption of online tickets will be done from 10 am to 4 pm on February 7 and 8, and from 7 am to 12 noon on February 9.