"Virat Kohli went for paternity leave, isn't available for the entire series.."- Aakash Chopra

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra opened up about ace batter Virat Kohli’s absence from the five-match Test series against England. Aakash Chopra expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity for a showdown between Virat Kohli and James Anderson.

On Saturday, February 10, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named the squad for the last three Tests in the ongoing series. KL Rahul and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have returned to the squad after missing the last Test, while Shreyas Iyer has been dropped.

Virat Kohli earlier opted out of the first two Tests due to personal reasons. The 35-year-old batter remains unavailable for selection, as confirmed by the BCCI. It will be the first time in his 13-year illustrious career that the right-handed batter will miss an entire Test series.

No One Knows The Reason – Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra urged everyone not to speculate on the reason behind Virat Kohli‘s absence, emphasizing the importance of accepting the situation.

“Forget about two matches, Virat Kohli isn’t available for the entire series. No one knows the reason, so you and I are not going to speculate. We won’t get to see the one final battle we could have seen between Jimmy Anderson and Virat Kohli. It’s absolutely fine,” Chopra said.

In the past decade of Test cricket, clashes between Virat Kohli and England’s pacer, James Anderson, have been notable. Anderson has dismissed Kohli seven times in red-ball cricket. However, Kohli has managed to score 305 runs at an average of 43.6 against him.

Virat Kohli Hasn’t Missed An Entire Series – Aakash Chopra

Chopra believes there must be significant reasons behind Virat Kohli’s absence for the entire Test series against England. He recalled a similar instance during the Australia series in 2020-21, where Kohli played the first match but missed the remaining matches.

“I am sure there are pressing reasons, or else Kohli hasn’t missed an entire series like this in his entire career. I remember him missing the Australia series, where he played the first match, the pink-ball Test match where India were all out for 36 and then he wasn’t available for the entire series,” Chopra added.

Test Cricket Is Closest To Virat Kohli’s Heart – Aakash Chopra

The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that Test cricket holds a special place in Kohli’s heart, emphasizing that he has never taken such a prolonged absence from the format before.

“He went home on paternity leave. Before or after that, he has never taken such a long leave, and especially in Test cricket. Virat Kohli is the poster boy of cricket, all three formats, but Test cricket is closest to his heart,” Chopra further stated.

The upcoming third Test between India and England is scheduled to commence on February 15 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. The series is evenly poised, as it stands at 1-1 in the five-match series.

Also read: Jasprit Bumrah was desperate to play Test cricket with Virat Kohli – Ravi Shastri’s colossal revelation on pacer