Team India has been dealt a huge blow ahead of the Test series against England as Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the first two Tests due to personal reasons.
Team India suffered a big setback before the opening match of the Test series against England. Veteran batter Virat Kohli will not play in the first two tests as the BCCI has confirmed his exclusion from the team.
The BCCI is yet to name a replacement for Kohli but it is believed that it will be done before the first Test in Hyderabad starting on Thursday.
Kohli had also withdrawn from the first T20I against Afghanistan citing personal reasons but the exact reason has not been revealed. The BCCI has revealed that Kohli had informed Indian skipper Rohit Sharma about his decision and that he has the captain’s support. In the absence of Kohli, the onus will be on youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubhman Gill and Shreyas Iyer to step up and fill the void.
The BCCI said in a statement that “Virat Kohli has requested the BCCI to withdraw from the first two Tests of the upcoming Test series against England, citing personal reasons. Virat has spoken to captain Rohit Sharma, team management and selectors. He has emphasized that representing the country has always been his top priority, but certain personal situations demand his presence and full attention.” The statement further added that the “BCCI respects his decision.”
The board and team management have extended their support to the star batsman and are confident in the abilities of the rest of the team to deliver commendable performances in the Test series. BCCI requests the media and fans to respect Virat Kohli’s privacy during this time and avoid speculating on his personal reasons. The selection committee will soon announce the name of his replacement.
Updated Indian team for the first two tests against England:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar. , Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain) and Avesh Khan.
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