IND vs SA: Virat Kohli Rejoins India's Squad Ahead Of 1st Test Against South Africa Following London Trip

Former skipper Virat Kohli has reportedly rejoined the Indian cricket team ahead of the first Test of the two-match series against South Africa. Earlier this week, reports suggested that Virat Kohli had flown to London for the past few days due to a family emergency.

Virat Kohli’s brief visit to London was not a sudden trip due to a family emergency. He missed the inter-squad game from December 20 to 22. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team management were reportedly informed about Kohli’s travel plans.

The Team Management Was Aware Of Virat Kohli’s Plan And Schedule – Report

As stated by a senior BCCI official, Virat Kohli‘s absence from the inter-squad game in Pretoria was part of a well-planned schedule, and it wasn’t a last-minute decision or due to a family emergency.

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“Virat Kohli wasn’t going to play that game. The team management was aware of his plan and schedule, and it isn’t something which happened overnight or due to a family emergency. Look at the player in question, it’s Virat Kohli. He is very well planned when it comes to these things and his London trip was communicated and planned well in advance,” a senior BCCI official said, as quoted by News18.

“Kohli left India for South Africa on December 15. Had good 3-4 training sessions before he went to London on December 19. For the next few days, he was in London and has now linked up with the Test squad and will in all likelihood train in Centurion tomorrow,” the official added.

Virat Kohli was last seen in action during India’s 2023 World Cup final defeat against Australia. The 35-year-old was the leading run-scorer of the tournament, scoring 765 runs in 11 matches with an average of 95.62. He hit three centuries and six half-centuries.

India Set To Face South Africa In First Test On December 26

The Delhi-born cricketer was rested for the white-ball leg of the current tour. Kohli came close to becoming the first Indian skipper to win a Test series in South Africa after winning the first test in 2022. However, the visitors lost the remaining games, conceding the series.

The Rohit Sharma-led team will have a chance to conquer South Africa in 2023 as key players are suffering from injuries in the opposition team. Meanwhile, Team India also suffered blows with Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan, and Ruturaj Gaikwad out of the Test series.

India is set to face the Temba Bavuma-led team in the first Test at Centurion beginning on December 26. The second and final match will be played in Cape Town beginning on January 3. Notably, India won only four Tests out of 23 matches in the Rainbow Nation.

India Updated Test Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran.

Also read: IND vs SA: Watch – “Ladai Meri Sirf…” – Gautam Gambhir’s Heartwarming Reply To ‘Virat Kohli’ Query