The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed their “acknowledgement and endorsement” of Virat Kohli’s choice to not participate in the remaining Test matches.
Virat Kohli has opted out of the remaining Test series against England due to personal reasons. Kohli had previously missed the first two Tests for the same cause. In addition to Kohli, Shreyas Iyer will also not be participating in the upcoming Tests in Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamsala. However, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have rejoined the team, pending clearance from the BCCI’s medical team. The BCCI has expressed their support and respect for Kohli’s decision to remain unavailable for the rest of the Test series.
In a statement, the BCCI stated that the squad for the last three Tests of the IDFC First Bank series against England has been declared by the Men’s Selection Committee.
“The statement mentioned that Virat Kohli will not be able to participate in the rest of the series due to personal reasons. The Board acknowledges and backs Mr. Kohli’s choice.”
The BCCI medical team will need to provide fitness clearance for Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul before their participation can be confirmed.
The reason for Iyer’s absence from the remaining matches was not disclosed by the BCCI. In the first two Tests, the batter achieved scores of 35, 13, 27, and 29.
In contrast, Rahul and Jadeja were unable to participate in the second Test as they were recovering from their individual injuries.
India achieved equality in the second Test, securing a 106-run victory over England in Vizag, thus bringing the five-match series to a balanced state.
Bengal fast bowler Akash Deep has been selected for the Indian Test team, earning his first call-up. He will be replacing Avesh Khan, who will be representing Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy.
The third Test match is set to begin on February 15, 2024, in Rajkot, while the fourth Test match will start in Ranchi on February 23, 2024. The fifth and final Test match of the series is scheduled to be held in Dharamsala starting from March 07, 2024.
The Indian squad consists of several talented players who will be representing the country in upcoming matches. The team captain is Rohit Sharma. Jasprit Bumrah has been appointed as the vice-captain. Other notable players include Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, KS Bharat, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, and Akash Deep.
