India’s Virat Kohli will miss the first two Tests against England due to “personal reasons”, the country’s cricket board said on Monday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India will name a replacement soon with the opening Test of the five-match series starting on Thursday in Hyderabad.
“Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasised that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention,” BCCI said in a statement.
“The BCCI 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 statement added: “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.”
Kohli, who amassed 765 runs in 11 ODI World Cup matches for runners-up India last year, missed the white-ball leg of the South African tour in 2023 and the opening T20 match against Afghanistan at home recently. The 35-year-old remains the backbone of the Indian batting with 8,848 runs including 29 centuries and an average of over 49 in 113 Tests.
India named their squad for the first two Tests and pace bowler Mohamed Shami missed out as he recovers from an ankle injury.
The second Test starts February 2 in Visakhapatnam, followed by the third beginning February 15 in Rajkot.
India has remained unbeaten in a Test series at home since 2012 when Alastair Cook’s touring England team beat them 2-1. Ben Stokes’ England have landed in Hyderabad after holding a training camp in Abu Dhabi.
England spinner Bashir yet to arrive in India after visa issueEngland arrived in India on Monday without Shoaib Bashir after a visa problem kept the uncapped spinner in Abu Dhabi.
The squad, who had been holding a training camp in the United Arab Emirates ahead of Thursday’s start of the first Test in Hyderabad, were already a man down after batsman Harry Brook returned home for personal reasons.
And they were reduced to 14 men when Somerset off-spinner Bashir, whose parents are of Pakistani heritage, was unable to join his teammates on the flight to India.
Pakistani media endured visa delays in the run-up to the recent World Cup in India but England coach Brendon McCullum was optimistic that Indian cricket authorities, and indeed the government, could aid Bashir’s arrival following an approach by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
“Bash will join us hopefully tomorrow, he’s got a couple of issues with his visa coming through,” said McCullum.
“We’re confident on the back of the help from the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and the Indian government that it will sort itself out pretty quickly as well.
“Things take time, don’t they? Everyone is doing what they can. It’s a process we need to go through and we’re pretty confident that we’re close. We’ve also got a little bit of support out there for him so he’s not on his own. We’re hoping the news will come through today that his visa has been approved, then we’ll get him to sink his teeth into this series.”
Bashir, 20, was a surprise selection for the tour given he has taken a mere 10 first-class wickets at an expensive average of 67.
But the England management were impressed by his performances for the second-string Lions in the UAE and they believe his high release point, allied to an ability to gain sharp turn, will make him effective on Indian pitches renowned for assisting spinners.
Australia’s Khawaja cleared to play second West Indies Test
Australia opener Usman Khawaja will return to training today after being cleared to play the second Test against West Indies in Brisbane this week.
The 37-year-old batsman retired hurt last Friday in the final few overs of Australia’s thumping 10-wicket victory in the first test after being struck on the helmet by a Shamar Joseph delivery.
“Usman Khawaja has been cleared to play the second Test match against the West Indies in Brisbane,” the team said in a statement on Monday. “Khawaja was assessed again today and has no symptoms of delayed concussion. He will train at the Gabba tomorrow.”
Australia faced the prospect of searching for a new opener for the second time in the series if Khawaja had been unfit to play in the day-night Test, which begins at the Gabba on Thursday.
Steve Smith moved up the order to replace David Warner when the veteran opener retired from the format in the wake of the 3-0 series sweep of Pakistan around the New Year.
Virat Kohli
