Veteran Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is likely to miss the third and fourth matches of the ongoing Test series against England, while there’s no clarity on the 35-year-old’s availability for the final match of the series in Dharamshala, ESPNCricinfo reported. Notably, Kohli had also missed the first two matches in Hyderabad and Rajkot due to “personal reasons”, with Rajat Patidar taking his place in the Indian side.
Meanwhile, a report by the Indian Express has noted that Virat will decide when he will make a comeback and the Indian cricketing board hasn’t been anything on his return yet. A BCCI official while speaking to Indian Express said, “Virat will decide when he wants to make a comeback to the Indian side. He hasn’t informed us till now but whenever he decides to play, he will be included in the team,”
Reacting to the reports of Kohli missing out in action for the next 2 Test matches, former England skipper Naseer Hussain said, “Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batters ever to play the game and any series and any side will miss someone of the stature of Kohli. The game needs to look after the likes of Kohli as well. He 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 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,”
“It’ll be a blow for India. It’ll be a blow for the series. It’ll be a blow for world cricket. It’s going to be a special series. It already has been. The first two games have been fascinating,” the former cricketer said.
Another former cricketer Aakash Chopra also came out in support of Kohli noting that the veteran batter has an obligation to share what is happening in his life.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “AB de Villiers spilled the beans slightly but we have no idea at all what exactly is happening in his life. Personally, I won’t try to find out as well. We will get to hear once he is comfortable. You also don’t know what goes on in my life. I only share what I want to share,”
“Similarly, you also share with others whatever you want to share about your life. There is no obligation that you need to tell the entire world what’s happening in your life. So Virat Kohli has taken a break. He had asked for privacy through BCCI or BCCI did it themselves, so we will maintain that,” the former Indian opener added.
Netizens react to Virat Kohli’s likely omission from India squad:
Many Indian fans came out in support of Virat Kohli, with one user writing, “Sad to hear that Virat Kohli’s wife is facing pregnancy problems. We pray that she gives birth to her child safely. All our prayers are with you. Virat, don’t leave your wife at all in this difficult time. There is no problem if you take a break from 5 match or 20 match”
Another user wrote, “If you’re a cricket or a movie star in India, you rarely get to enjoy personal privacy. It is a known fact. But passing judgments, spreading fake news & targeting a person for his basic rights is absolutely unacceptable. All this nonsense about Virat Kohli needs to stop!”
Yet another user wrote, “Anushka sharma always supported virat kohli during his tough time she always stood by him through thick and thin (no one gives her credit here) but virat kohli taking care of anushka sharma during her pregnancy is now the national topic like how can virat do this why he doing thi”
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Published: 08 Feb 2024, 02:10 PM IST