Virat Kohli Withdraws from First Two Tests Against England Due to Personal Reasons

Star Indian batter Virat Kohli has opted out of the first two Tests against England citing ‘personal reasons’, as confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a statement on Monday. Kohli had earlier withdrawn from the first T20I against Afghanistan for the same reasons. The specific nature of the personal situation has not been disclosed.

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Virat Kohli withdraws from first two Tests against England citing personal reasons.

Details 🔽 #TeamIndia | #INDvENGhttps://t.co/q1YfOczwWJ

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2024

In the absence of Kohli, youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer will shoulder significant responsibility.

The BCCI, respecting Kohli’s decision, mentioned that he has the support of captain Rohit Sharma and the team management. The statement urged the media and fans to respect Kohli’s privacy, emphasizing the focus on supporting the Indian cricket team during the upcoming Test series against England.

The BCCI assured confidence in the remaining squad members to deliver commendable performances. The Men’s Selection Committee is set to name a replacement soon. The five-match Test series begins on January 25 in Hyderabad, with Kohli expected to return for the remaining three matches.

India 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, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc) and Avesh Khan