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Virat Kohli Fitness, Steve Smith Ton And Barishal BPL Win – February 7 Cricket Highlights

Aakash Saini

Virat Kohli and Steve Smith [Source: AP Photos, @cricketcomau/x]Virat Kohli and Steve Smith [Source: AP Photos, @cricketcomau/x]

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Virat Kohli will likely be making his return to the Indian team after missing the opening ODI against England. Jasprit Bumrah reportedly underwent scans at the NCA, while the PCB unveiled the national jersey of the Pakistan cricket team for the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

Capping an eventful day in the world of cricket, here we take a look at five of the biggest cricketing news that emerged out of Friday, February 7.

Virat Kohli Fit Again, Likely To Return For Second ODI

Virat Kohli has attained full recovery and will likely be making his return into the playing XI for the upcoming second ODI match against England at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. The legendary Indian batter missed the series-opening first ODI in Nagpur due to swelling on his right knee. Captain Rohit Sharma confirmed at the toss that Shreyas Iyer will be replacing Kohli in the playing XI instead.

While Iyer smacked a match-winning 59 to make the most of his newfound opportunity in the team, it remains to be seen if he will now be dropped from the XI at the expense of the legendary Indian batter.

Steve Smith Equals Rohit Sharma, Goes Past Kohli With Huge Ton Vs SL

Steve Smith plundered 120 unbeaten runs against Sri Lanka on Day 2 of the series-deciding Galle Test. The legendary Australian middle-order batter shared an unbroken 237-run partnership for the fourth wicket with fellow centurion Alex Carey to extend Australia’s lead to 73 runs.

Notably, the innings marked Smith’s 36th Test century, and his 48th in international cricket to help him level up with Rohit Sharma for most hundreds across all formats among active players. Moreover, the 35-year-old also went past Virat Kohli for the record of holding most away Test centuries with 17 tons.

Tamim Iqbal Leads Fortune Barishal To BPL 2024-25 Win Over Kings

Fortune Barishal defeated Chittagong Kings in the final to lift the BPL 2024-25 title at the iconic Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Chasing 195 runs in a high-octane final, captain Tamim Iqbal led the Barishal from the front by carting 54 runs from just 29 balls at the top. Kyle Mayers chipped in with a swift 28-ball 46 in the middle order, while Rishad Hossain clubbed 18* from just six balls to seal the chase with three wickets and three balls to spare.

Earlier in the match, the Kings hauled 194-3 courtesy of sublime half-centuries from both openers, Khawaja Nafay (66 off 44) and Parvez Hossain Emon (78* off 49). Fast bowler Shoriful Islam, meanwhile, excelled with the ball for the Kings by picking up four crucial wickets.

Jasprit Bumrah Undergoes Scans Before CT 2025 Confirmation

Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah reportedly underwent scans at the NCA in Bengaluru. According to the Times of India, the BCCI will be confirming Bumrah’s participation in the Indian team for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy on February 8.

It is worth noting that the speedster suffered back spasms during the concluding stages of India’s five-match Test trip of Australia earlier this year. Moreover, Jasprit Bumrah was even ruled out from the second half of the series-deciding Sydney Test match in January.

PCB Unveil Pakistan’s Champions Trophy 2025 Jersey

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled Pakistan’s national jersey for the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. In an explosive social media post, the PCB shared a minute-long ‘cinematic’ commercial featuring the likes of team captain Mohammad Rizwan, opening batter Fakhar Zaman and fellow star attractions Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi.

The Pakistan team, also the co-hosts of the tournament, will be commencing its campaign on February 19 with a match against New Zealand.