Virat Kohli Withdraws From First Two England Tests Due To Personal Reasons

Virat Kohli [X.com]

In a significant development, veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli has withdrawn himself from the first two Tests against England, citing personal reasons. The news comes as a shocker for the passionate Indian fans, who were eagerly waiting to see Kohli perform against the Englishmen in the much-anticipated Test series. 

As per BCCI’s official statement, Kohli has spoken to Indian captain Rohit Sharma while choosing to stay with his family due to some unavoidable circumstances. The apex body is also likely to name a suitable replacement for Kohli before the series starts on January 25. 

Kohli, who bats at number 4, was expected to play a key role in the Test series, owing to his exploits in the red-ball format. In 113 matches, Kohli has amassed 8848 runs at an average of 49.16. 

In his absence, experienced keeper-batter KL Rahul is expected to bat at number four in the first two Test matches. Furthermore, as Kohli will be unavailable, Shreyas Iyer will likely make it into the final XI, with KS Bharat donning the keeper’s hat. 

Although the BCCI is yet to name his replacement, it is expected that India might rope in either of Cheteshwar Pujara or Sarfaraz Khan into the squad. 

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