Indian batter Virat Kohli is all set to miss the first two Tests vs England, said a BCCI release. The reason cited in the release says Kohli has asked for a break from the first 2 Tests due to personal reasons. The release also says that Virat personally spoke to India captain Rohit Sharma to tell him about his decision. "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," read the release.
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BCCI said that it respects the decision of Kohli and the team manegement has extended its support to the player. The board also requested the media and fans to respect Virat Kohli's privacy during this time and refrain from speculating on the nature of his personal reasons. The focus should remain on supporting the Indian cricket team as they embark on the upcoming challenges in the Test series.
No replacement has been named yet for Kohli. BCCI said that it will soon announce the name of the player who will replace the ace batter in the Test squad for the first two Tests to be played in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam.
Abhimanyu Easwaran should be the ideal contender to fill in the spot. But no name has been confirmed yet by the selection committee.
Kohli's absence in the first 2 Tests is a huge blow to Team India's plans as they aim to strengthen their position in the World Test Championships (WTC) standings. It will be interesting to see who replaces Kohli in the playing 11 and bats at No 4. In all likelihood, it will be Shreyas Iyer who will be followed by KL Rahul, which also means that KS Bharat will definitely keep wickets for India in the first 2 Tests.
Team India captain Rohit had started his training for the Tests in Mumbai. Mumbai Indians (MI) had shared pics of his practice sessions in Mumbai on Sunday. Indian captain is desperate to win something meaningful for a long time after the ODI World Cup debacle. India did smash South Africa out in the 2nd Test earlier this year and then thrashed Afghanistan 3-0 in the T20I series but the win over England at home will be on top of his mind.
