The Interim CEO of Cricket Australia Nick Hockley has said that he expected Virat Kohli will not play full series against Australia well before time. He said that when the star couple Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma announced the news of their pregnancy, he believed that the likelihood of Indian captain missing the Test leg of the series was also on the cards. He expressed his excitement at the prospect of Virat Kohli making it into the limited-overs series of the tour. Hockley called Virat Kohli one of the absolute superstars of the game and said that his decision to spend time with family should be respected.
"We're thrilled Virat is coming out for three ODIs, three T20s, the first-ever day-night Test against India and we have to respect the fact he wants to be there for the birth of his first child. Clearly, (he is) one of the game's absolute superstars. We're looking forward to seeing him here for seven out of the 10 matches," Hockley said to Sydney radio station SEN.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia expects a surge in demand for tickets from fans who have been denied the chance to watch the game from grounds. Local governments are easing up the restrictions that were imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic and CA is gearing up to host a sizable number of spectators in all grounds that will host matches between India and Australia.
Virat Kohli was granted paternity leave to return to India to see his wife who will be expecting the first child of the couple. In his absence, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is likely to lead the side while his absence from the batting lineup will boost the chances for the likes of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul to push hard for a slot in the middle order of the Test batting line up.
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