Not only will he miss the third and fourth Tests against England, but star batsman Virat Kohli of India is also expected to prolong his sabbatical from international cricket. Notably, Kohli had pulled out of the series’ opening two Test matches in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam for private reasons.
He is not anticipated to be available for the fifth Test, though, and is expected to miss the third and fourth Tests, which will be played in Rajkot and Ranchi. The renowned batsman left Hyderabad on January 21 after arriving to join the Indian team.
As word of Virat Kohli’s mother’s illness spread, many conjectures emerged regarding the potential cause of his absence.
But when his brother Virat Kohli disclosed that their mother was well, the rumors were put to rest.
Another twist in the story came from close friend and former South African batter AB de Villiers, who disclosed on his YouTube live session that the renowned Indian batsman is expecting his second child. Nevertheless, neither Virat Kohli nor his Bollywood actress spouse, Anushka Sharma, have made any remarks regarding the situation.
A report on ESPNcricinfo states that, aside from him, injured players KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have made remarkable recovery progress at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. The NCA physio’s final report on the two is still pending, but at least one of them should be available for the third Test, which starts on February 15 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
Mohammed Siraj will make his comeback.
Mohammed Siraj, a fast bowler, was cut from the team before the second Test match in Visakhapatnam in order to control his workload. He will also be added to the squad for the third test. As his replacement, Mukesh Kumar, struggled throughout the second Test and was only able to take one wicket while giving up 70 runs from 12 overs, Siraj’s comeback will be a huge boost for the squad.