Former India captain Virat Kohli has pulled out of the first two Tests against England due to personal reasons. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will name a replacement for Kohli soon.
Missing Kohli will be a massive blow for the hosts not just because of his experience but also his record against England in Test cricket. Kohli has 1991 runs from 28 Tests at an average of 42.36 with 5 hundreds and 9 fifties. He is the fifth most successful batter in India vs England Tests.
Kohli is currently in Ayodhya to attend the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony along with his wife Anushka Sharma. The 35-year-old reached the holy city for the auspicious ceremony on Monday morning.
Anushka Sharma pregnant with 2nd child
Notably, Kohli and Bollywood star Anushka are expecting their second child this year. Kohli had previously missed the first T20I against Afghanistan earlier this month for similar reasons.
The first two Tests between India and England will be played in Hyderabad (January 25-29) and Visakhapatnam (February 2-6).
BCCI statement on Kohli's absence
"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 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 informed.
England to miss Harry Brook
Notably, England will also be without a key player in Harry Brook, who pulled out of the entire tour due to personal reasons.
Dan Lawrence has been named as his replacement by the England cricket board and he will join the Test squad on Monday. England are also waiting on the arrival of uncapped off-spinnner Shoaib Bashir, who is stuck in Abu Dhabi due to visa delay.
Team India for first 2 Tests vs England: Rohit Sharma (C ), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, 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.
