Star batsman Virat Kohli has decided not to play in the first two Test matches against England due to personal reasons. The Indian Cricket Board, BCCI mentioned that Kohli talked to the team management, including captain Rohit Sharma, before making this decision.
On Sunday, during the team’s training session for the first Test on January 25 in Hyderabad, Virat Kohli was seen in the city.
“Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasized that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention,” the BCCI said.
The Indian cricket board respected Virat Kohli’s choice, expressing confidence in the rest of the team to face the challenge against a strong England side in the first two Tests. They assured that a replacement would be announced soon.
Virat Kohli not playing is a significant setback for India, as they would have relied on him in familiar home conditions. Kohli has a good history in Hyderabad. Additionally, England’s Harry Brook also had to pull out of the Test tour of India due to personal reasons. Brook, who played in the IPL in 2023, returned home from the UAE, where England had a pre-series camp.
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The BCCI Urge Fans to Give Kohli some Space
The BCCI has asked the media and fans to give Virat Kohli some space and not guess about the reasons for his matters. They want everyone to focus on supporting the Indian cricket team as they get ready for the challenges in the upcoming Test series, according to the detailed statement from the board.
Virat Kohli played a significant role in India’s Test series in South Africa earlier this year. The former captain did well with the bat, scoring 172 runs, including a fifty, in 4 innings across 2 Tests.
In addition, the former captain made a comeback to the T20I team after 14 months just recently. Kohli proved doubters wrong with a fast 29 off 16 in the 2nd T20I against Afghanistan. However, he got out without scoring in the 3rd T20I.
It’s important to note that Kohli had to miss the first T20I of the 3-match series on January 11 due to personal reasons.
India’S Updated Squad for the First 2 Test Matches vs England
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.
