Cricket
Virat Kohli leaves the India-England series department of pace changes


By Kajal Sharma - 11 Feb 2024 06:46 PM
Shreyas Iyer's injury has forced him to miss the next three Test matches, according to The Indian Express. The National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru will be keeping an eye on Iyer's recovery.The senior national selection committee and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have been notified by former India captain Virat Kohli that he will not be playing in the final three Test matches of the five-game series against England. According to what The Indian Express understands, on Friday, the day selectors convened virtually to determine the team for the Test matches in Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamshala, Kohli notified the BCCI of his availability.While playing for his country has always been his first priority, Kohli stressed to the Indian captain Rohit Sharma, the team management, and the selectors at the beginning of the series that some personal situations require his presence and entire attention. "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," BCCI secretary Jay Shah stated in a later press release.For the first time in his professional life, Kohli will not be playing in a home series. The selectors had made the decision not to alter the winning lineup too much after India rallied at Vizag to tie the series at one.The cricket board of India stated on Saturday that star batsman Virat Kohli will miss the final three Test matches against England due to "personal reasons" that were not explained.After two matches that Kohli did not attend, the series is tied at one. The third Test, which begins on Thursday in Rajkot, will continue without him.Very little information has been provided by him or the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the reasons behind his absence.
The BCCI released a statement saying, "Virat Kohli will remain unavailable for selection for the remainder of the series due to personal reasons." "The Board fully respects and supports Mr. Kohli's decision."The similar justification was offered for why Kohli was left out of the team for the first two Test matches, when Rajat Patidar, a rookie, took his place.With 8,848 runs, including 29 hundreds and an average of over 49 in 113 Test matches, the 35-year-old is still the mainstay of India's batting lineup.Another noteworthy exclusion from the 17-man team announced by the board on Saturday for the remainder of the series was top order batsman Shreyas Iyer.Iyer had back surgery for a slipped disc last year. He was in the starting XI for the first two Tests but failed to establish himself in any of his four innings. According to ESPNCricinfo, he complained to the team management that following this month's second Test in Visakhapatnam, he experienced a recurrence of back spasms. Both K.L. Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja were invited, but the board stated that their involvement was "subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI medical team". Ben Stokes-led England won the first game to inflict the hosts just their fourth home defeat since 2013, but Rohit Sharma's squad recovered with a 106-run triumph in the second encounter. Tests in Dharamsala on February 23 and Ranchi on February 23 will wrap up the series.