"It's a shame.."- Stuart Broad to Virat Kohli after he makes himself unavailable for complete Test series vs England

Former England right-arm pacer Stuart Broad who was a part of the English setup when they last won a red-ball series in India, feels that Virat Kohli’s absence from the entire 5-match Test series between India and England is shameful and shambolic for the series. Broad mentioned that the series is missing the flair and charisma that Kohli used to bring with him.

“It’s a shame for the series that he will be missing but India have won the last Test. Kohli is such a quality player, his passion, his fire, but obviously personal matters always take precedence.” – Stuart Broad told Times Of India. 

Virat Kohli had initially opted out of the first two Tests in Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam due to undisclosed personal reasons which the team captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid had approved. The BCCI had also confirmed Kohli’s wish to remain out with the selection committee naming Rajat Patidar as his replacement for the 1st Test which was won by England by 28 runs and the 2nd Test where India retaliated with a 106-run win.

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As the series stands on level terms at 1-1, perfectly balanced for the 3rd Test in Rajkot, the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar announced the squad for the remainder of the series a couple of days ago and it didn’t have Kohli’s name. There were speculations all around social media that the former Indian captain is set to extend his leave for the entire series and that’s what exactly happened as well.

The BCCI took to its official website to announce the squad and also wrote a short note on the batting stalwart’s unprecedented absence, stating that they fully respect and support his 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.” – BCCI wrote. 

It is happening for the first time in his 13-year-long Test career that Virat Kohli has opted out of an entire red-ball series, a format that is very close to his heart. The last time he had to miss out on a Test series was during India’s previous tour to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar trophy in 2020/21 when he had to leave the team after the 1st Test for the birth of his first child Vamika.

With the type of form he was in, Kohli could have easily entered the elite list of batters with 30 Test centuries, something he was just a century away from. And at the moment it seems as if he will have to wait until August-September to play some red-ball cricket.

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“Great Opportunity To Young Players”, Broad Highlights The Brighter Side Of Virat Kohli’s Absence

Stuart Broad who retired from all formats of cricket last year after the Ashes, highlighted the positive side of Virat Kohli missing the Test series, which is going to be a good challenge for batters like Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan to step up and perform at their best.

“It gives a great opportunity to young players also. So someone in the Indian batting line-up will stand up at some stage.” – Broad concluded. 

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