Islamabad January 22 (Online): Virat Kohli withdrew from the first two Tests ahead of the five-match series against England due to “personal reasons”, confirmed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday.
The reason behind the 35-year-old’s absence from the first Tests has not been revealed yet. It is important to mention that Kohli also missed the first T20I against Afghanistan due to personal reasons.
The BCCI confirmed that Kohli informed them of his decision and also contacted skipper Rohit Sharma, who has given him his full support.
“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 Virat Kohli has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming IDFC First Bank Test series against England, citing personal reasons,” BCCI said in a press release.
“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.
Earlier, England’s preparations for the five-Test series in India were thrown into disarray with the announcement that Harry Brook would miss at least a portion of the series and return home “with immediate effect for personal reasons”.
An initial statement from the ECB had indicated that Brook would be absent for the entire series, but this detail was later removed from the ECB website.
There remains a possibility that Brook, who is returning home for personal reasons, may rejoin the team for the later stages of the tour.
Schedule for India vs England Test series 2024
1st Test: January 25-29 (Thursday-Monday) – Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
2nd Test: February 2-6 (Friday-Tuesday) – Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam,
3rd Test: February 15-19 (Thursday-Monday) – Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
4th Test: February 23-27 (Friday-Tuesday) – JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi
5th Test: March 7-11 (Thursday-Monday) – Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala.
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