India Cricket Team has suffered a major blow ahead of the IND vs ENG Test series. The Kingpin of the batting lineup Virat Kohli has pulled out of the first two games of the series. The first game will be played from 25th January in Hyderabad whereas the second match will be played from 2nd February in Vizag.
Virat Kohli has pulled out of the two IND vs ENG games citing personal reasons. The batter has spoken to skipper Rohit Sharma and selectors and they have been on the same page with him, allowing him to miss the two games and supporting him in his decision.
Although there’s no clarity on what has forced Virat Kohli to miss the two IND vs ENG games, it can suspected that some family emergency might have forced him to make the decision. But BCCI has urged fans and media to not raise any speculations on the nature of his personal reasons.
The BCCI also confirmed that the Men’s Selection Committee will name a replacement of Virat Kohli soon for the first two IND vs ENG tests. There have been a few key performers for India A in the series against England Lions and it is likely that one among them will be picked.
Also read: IND vs ENG, 1st Test: 3 Players to Watch Out For | India vs England Test
Releasing the office statement, BCCI stated:
“Mr. Virat Kohli has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming IDFC First Bank Test series against England, citing personal reasons.
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 absence of Virat Kohli will be a huge blow for the team as he has been the key performer for them. Him not being there will leave a massive void in the team for the first two IND vs ENG Tests. The batter has always brought up his best against England and it will be a great headache for Indian management.
Virat Kohli looked in good touch in the Test series against South Africa and played crucial knocks for the team. After having a lean patch, he regained his touch and was back to scoring ways. It remains be to be seen if he returns for the last three IND vs ENG Tests or not.
IND vs ENG: Revised Indian squad for the Test series against England
Here’s Revised Indian squad for the Test series against England:
Rohit Sharma (C ), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, S Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan