Team India’s star batter Virat Kohli has withdrawn from the remaining matches of the Test series against England due to personal reasons, as confirmed by the BCCI on Saturday. Ending speculation surrounding his availability, the BCCI announced the squad for the remaining three Tests of the series as the series is locked at 1-1 after India’s win in the second match in Visakhapatnam.
In a statement, the BCCI acknowledged Kohli’s decision: “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.” Currently, Kohli is attending to urgent family matters.
For the first time in his career, the former India captain will miss an entire home series. Kohli has been a fixture in every home Test series since making his debut in 2011. The 35-year-old former captain, boasting nearly 9,000 runs in 113 tests, had also missed the first two Tests due to personal reasons.
The stat is a testament to Kohli’s enduring presence as a stalwart of Test cricket over the years. As captain of the Indian team, he propelled India to unprecedented achievements, including their inaugural Test series victory in Australia. Additionally, he steered India to maintain their position as the top-ranked team in the format for an impressive 42 consecutive months, spanning from October 2016 to March 2020.
No Kohli vs Anderson?
During India’s 2014 tour of England, a striking contest unfolded between Virat Kohli and James Anderson. The English bowler asserted his dominance over Kohli, conceding a mere 16 runs to the first-time touring batter while dismissing him on four occasions.
Fast forward four years to India’s subsequent tour of England, and one of the central storylines revolved around how Kohli, now established as one of the premier batters in the world across all formats, would fare against Anderson. Kohli demonstrated a masterful approach in neutralizing Anderson’s threat, not only remaining undefeated against the English pacer but also amassing an impressive 593 runs across four Tests.
Anderson has dismissed Kohli on seven occasions in their encounters, but it appears that we may have already witnessed the conclusion of their riveting rivalry. With Anderson set to turn 42 this year, the prospect of Kohli facing off against him again when India tours England in 2025 seems increasingly unlikely.
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