India vs England: Virat Kohli to miss next two Tests; will Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja be back?
After opting out of the first two Test matches, Virat Kohli will miss the next two cricket matches against England as well, ESPNcricinfo reported. The next two matches will be played in Rajkot (February 15-19) and Ranchi (February 23-27). Also, there’s uncertainty about Kohli’s participation in the fifth match at Dharmasala (March 7-11). The selection committee will keep this under consideration when it picks the squad for the last three Tests.
Kohli stepped away from the first two Tests for personal reasons, announced by the BCCI on January 22. He arrived in Hyderabad to join the team but left the same day. Since then, the BCCI has not commented on his situation.
As per reports, Kohli had discussions with Rohit Sharma, the team management and selectors. He spoke about his commitment to the team despite personal challenges.
Meanwhile, Nasser Hussain has backed Virat Kohli’s decision to prioritise his private life. However, the former England skipper believes that his absence will be a big “blow” for India.
“Virat Kohli has been playing international cricket for more than 15 years now. And, if he needs a break to be away with family… just some time away from the game, absolutely…we wish Virat Kohli all the best. It means we don’t have the mouthwatering possibility of an Anderson-Kohli contest that we have seen over the years, so be it,” Hussain told Sky Sports while calling King Kohli “one of the greatest batters ever to play the game”.
Will Siraj, Rahul and Jadeja be back?
Mohammed Siraj is likely to return for the third Test, ESPNcricinfo reported. Mukesh Kumar was called in place of Siraj but failed make a mark in the 2nd Test in Vizag.
On the contrary, The fitness of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja is under watch. They both missed the Vizag Test due to injuries. While the final say from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) is awaited, both Rahul and Jadeja are expected to be available for the game, the publication added.
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Published: 08 Feb 2024, 01:22 PM IST
