Former India captain and superstar batter, Virat Kohli will miss the first two Test matches against England. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on January 22 announced that Kohli opted out of the first two Tests against the Three Lions due to 'personal reasons'. The BCCI also confirmed that Kohli's replacement will be announced soon.
“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,” BCCI said in a release.
"The BCCI respects his decision and the Board and team management has extended its support to the star batter and is confident in the abilities of the remaining squad members to step up and deliver commendable performances in the Test series.
“The BCCI requests 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,” the Indian cricket board added.
Kohli's decision to withdraw from the two Test matches comes as a major blow for Team India. Kohli was India's best batter in the recent Test series against South Africa. The stylish right-handed batter's record against the Three Lions is also off the charts and not having the best batter's services would hurt Rohit Sharma & Co.
The first Test between India and England is scheduled to begin on January 25 in Hyderabad.
India vs England: Schedule
1st Test: January 25-29, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
2nd Test: February 2-6, Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
3rd Test: February 15-19, Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
4th Test: February 23-27, SCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi
5th Test: March 7-11, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala
India's squad for first two Tests 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, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.
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