India vs England: Virat Kohli to Miss First Two Tests Against England Due to Personal Reasons

On Monday, the Board of Cricket Council of India (BCCI) announced on January 22, 2024, that the star batter Virat Kohli will miss the first two-Test series against England.

The BCCI said that Kohli spoke to the Indian cricket team management, and captain Rohit Sharma before taking the call.

The former Indian captain Virat Kohli was spotted in Hyderabad on Sunday as India began training for the first Test against England, beginning January 25 in Hyderabad.

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“Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasized that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention,” the BCCI said.

The cricket board also stated that Kohli’s decision to withdraw from the initial two Tests says the team was confident they could rise to the challenge and win.

The BCCI said that we will announce the replacement for Kohli in due course. Virat Kohli’s absence will be a huge loss for team India as the home team has wanted to back the star in familiar home conditions.

Kohli also had a good track record in Hyderabad. However, England’s Harry Broo also withdrawn from the Test tour of India for personal circumstances. Brook previously played in IPL 2023 and flew home from the UAE where England had a pre-series preparatory camp.

“The BCCI requests the media and fans to respect Virat Kohli’s privacy during this time and refrain from speculating on the nature of his personal reasons. The focus should remain on supporting the Indian cricket team as they embark on the upcoming challenges in the Test series,” the detailed board statement added.

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The star pacer played an important role in India’s drawn Test series in South Africa earlier in this year. He scored 172 runs with one fifty in 4 innings across 2 Tests. He also missed the first T20I of the 3-match series on January 11 due to personal reasons.

India’s new squad for 1st, 2nd Tests against 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), Avesh Khan.

India vs England Five Tests series Schedule

• 1st Test in Hyderabad – January 25 to 29
• 2nd Test in Vizag – February 2 to 6
• 3rd Test in Rajkot – February 15 to 19
• 4th Test in Ranchi – February 23 to 27
• 5th Test in Dharamsala – March 7 to 11