The Indian cricket team will continue to take the field against England in the remaining three test matches without star batter Virat Kohli in the lineup.
It is understood that Kohli, who missed the first two matches of the series for personal reasons, has requested for an extended break from national duty.
The batsman is alleged to be in England along with his wife Anushka Sharma as the couple is expecting their second child.
What did Virat Kohli say to Ajit Agarkar?
According to journalist Abhishek Tripathi, Kohli called up chief national team selector, Ajit Agarkar, to explain his reasons for opting out of the last three Test matches.
It was initially anticipated that Kohli would return for the fifth match scheduled to start on March 6 in Dharamsala but the former Indian skipper made it clear that he would like to spend time with his family during this period.
Tripathi further revealed that Kohli was initially supposed to take a break from the last three matches and play the first two. However, due to certain complications, he excused himself from the entire series.
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Earlier, AB de Villiers, Kohli’s friend and former teammate, confirmed that Kohli and Anushka Sharma were anticipating their second child.
“All I know is he is fine. He is spending a bit of time with his family, that is the reason he is missing the first two Test matches. I am not going to confirm anything else. I cannot wait to see him back. He is fine, he is doing well,” AB de Villiers said in a video.
“Yes, his second child is on the way. It’s family time and things are important to him… I think most people’s priority is family. You can’t judge Virat for that. He has made absolutely the right decision.”
On Saturday, February 10, the BCCI announced its squad for the three remaining Test matches against England in Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala. Kohli was not included in the squad, despite recent injured players Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul making it. This suggests that the batter will not be part of the series at all, the first time this has happened in nearly 13 years.
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List of Indians to have missed games due to paternity leave
| Sr. | Player | Year | Paternity Leave | Schedule Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rahul Dravid | 2009 | Accepted | 2009 Indian Premier League |
| 2 | Gautam Gambhir | 2014 | Accepted | 2014 Indian Premier League |
| 3 | Rohit Sharma | 2018 | Accepted | Test series vs Australia |
| 4 | Virat Kohli | 2021 | Accepted | Test series vs Australia |
| 5 | Virat Kohli | 2024 | Accepted | Test series vs England |
List of Indians to have denied/opted against paternity leave
| Sr. | Player | Year | Paternity Leave | Schedule 1Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunil Gavaskar | 1976 | Rejected by BCCI | Test series vs West Indies |
| 2 | Sourav Ganguly | 2001 | Rejected by BCCI | Test series vs South Africa |
| 3 | MS Dhoni | 2015 | Opted against by player | 2015 ICC ODI World Cup |
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