Though chances are high that Kohli may appear in the final Test of the series in Dharamsala (from March 7-11). But, it is yet not confirmed if he will play for the final Test or not.
India and England will play the third Test in Rajkot from February 15-19, while the fourth game is in Ranchi from February 23-27.
What AB de Villiers said?
Earlier on 3 February, Kohli’s close friend de Villiers confirmed that Anushka Sharma and her husband, Virat Kohli, were expecting their second child. He added that Virat is on a break as he needs to be with his family.
He said, “So I wrote to him ‘Been wanting to check in with you for a while now biscuits. How are you?’. He said ‘Just need to be with my family right now. I am doing well'”, de Villiers said in his YouTube show on Saturday.
“Yes, his second child is on the way. Yes, it’s family time and things are important to him. If you are not true and genuine to yourself, you lose track of what you are here for. I think most people’s priority is family. You can’t judge Virat for that,” he added.
ALSO READ: Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma expecting second child? Here’s what AB de Villiers reveals
However, the news has not been confirmed by Virat Kohli or Anushka Sharma.
Earlier Kohli has sought a break for the first two Tests in the ongoing series. The BCCI had requested fans and media to respect Kohli’s privacy.
On January 22, BCCI released a statement and said, “Mr. Virat Kohli has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming IDFC First Bank Test series against England, citing personal reasons.”
England’s coach on Kohli’s return:
Though an official update on Kohli is yet to emerge, England’s coach Brendon McCullum, while speaking to TalkSport, said he has immense respect for the former India captain, just like the other members of India’s 15-member squad.
“Virat is one of the greatest players of the game has seen. No doubt it improves this squad. As we have said throughout, the depth in Indian cricket, the talent in India is immense. So we respect every opposition player that we come up against,” Brendon McCullum had said.
Speaking on his return, McCullum said that England is looking forward to that challenge. “If Virat is coming back… we hope everything is well with his family. We will look forward to that challenge too. He is a great competitor. I know him very well and I enjoyed playing against him, I enjoyed our team playing against him. And if you have success against the best, I am sure you have earned it,” added the England coach.
What former England skipper said?
With both India and England winning one Test, and going to clash for the third at Rajkot from 15 February, former England skipper Nasser Hussain – in an interview with The Daily Mail – said that the third test will be interesting.
On Kohli’s return, he had noted that the Indian star batter is ‘ruthless’.
ALSO READ: Virat Kohli withdraws from first two Tests against England citing personal reasons
“The one thing about India is that in three of their four innings they have been a bit sloppy. I know Rahul Dravid and he would have been ticking inside at some of the dismissals so far. India will think, ‘We keep on giving England a sniff here, let’s be more ruthless’. And the one thing Kohli is, is absolutely ruthless,” The Daily Mail quoted Nasser Hussain as saying
“I hope he does come back because the only thing this series has been missing is the battle between Kohli and Jimmy Anderson. I’m looking forward to that,” he added.
Indian squad for the third Test:
Though it is still not clear if Kohli is returning, KL Rahul is likely to return to the playing eleven and Rajat Patidar will then have to sit out as Shreyas Iyer.
Also, on Jasprit Bumrah, if the team includes him for the Rajkot Test, there is a high probability that he might be rested for the Ranchi Test. Also, Mohammed Siraj will be back and Mukesh Kumar is most likely to be axed.
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Published: 07 Feb 2024, 10:04 PM IST