Hyderabad: Star India batter and former skipper Virat Kohli has withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming five-Test series against England, citing personal reasons.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah in a media statement issued on Monday afternoon stated, "Virat Kohli has requested the BCCI to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming Test series against England, citing personal reasons."
The five-Test match series will begin with the first Test that will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad from January 25.
"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," Jay Shah added in the statement.
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— BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2024 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
Virat Kohli withdraws from first two Tests against England citing personal reasons.
Details 🔽 #TeamIndia | #INDvENGhttps://t.co/q1YfOczwWJ
">🚨 NEWS 🚨
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2024
Virat Kohli withdraws from first two Tests against England citing personal reasons.
Details 🔽 #TeamIndia | #INDvENGhttps://t.co/q1YfOczwWJ🚨 NEWS 🚨
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2024
Virat Kohli withdraws from first two Tests against England citing personal reasons.
Details 🔽 #TeamIndia | #INDvENGhttps://t.co/q1YfOczwWJ
According to the BCCI secretary, the cricket body "respects his decision and the Board and team management has extended its support to the star batter and is confident in the abilities of the remaining squad members to step up and deliver commendable performances in the Test series."
"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," added Jay Shah.
The second Test of the series will be played at Visakhapatnam from February 2 to 6. The senior selection committee led by former India pacer Ajit Agarkar will soon name Virat Kohli's replacement.
