Revealed: Why Virat Kohli opted out of England Tests? Fresh reports reveal stunning details

The BCCI, on Monday (January 22), announced that Virat Kohli will not be a part of India‘s squad for the first two Tests of the upcoming five-match series against England. The former India skipper has withdrawn from the first two Tests, citing personal reasons.

This is the second time this month that the batting superstar has opted out of an assignment due to personal reasons. Earlier this month, he pulled out of the first T20I of the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

“Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management, and the selectors and has emphasized that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention,” stated the BCCI in a statement.

Missing Virat Kohli will be a big blow for Team India. The right-handed batsman was India’s top-scorer during the two-match Test series in South Africa. He was one of the only Indian batters who managed to touch the 150-run mark in the series as his teammates struggled in the testing conditions.

Why will Virat Kohli not play the first two Tests against England?

While the BCCI did not reveal the reason behind Virat Kohli’s decision to play the first two Tests, reports state that the India star and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child. They are already parents to their daughter Vamika who was born in 2021 and are set to become parents for the second time.

Rumors of Anushka Sharma’s pregnancy have been circulating for quite some time now, although neither she nor Virat Kohli has spoken about it publicly thus far. Meanwhile, the BCCI is yet to announce a replacement for the star batsman.

The five-match series is scheduled to be played from January 25. The first game will take place in Hyderabad before both teams move to Vizag for the second game on February 3. The third game will be played in Rajkot while the final two Tests will take place in Ranchi and Dharamsala respectively.