Star Indian player Virat Kohli‘s 100th Test match to be played against Sri Lanka at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali between March 4-8 won’t have the spectators in the stand amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kohli missed the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg as he sustained an upper back spasm. Opening batter KL Rahul stood as India’s captain in Kohli’s absence. Had Kohli played the Test in Johannesburg then he would have played his 100th game at Newlands in Cape Town in the final Test of the series.
First Test between India and Sri Lanka to be played behind closed doors: Punjab Cricket Association
Initially, the first Test match was scheduled to play in Bengaluru, which is the home ground for Kohli’s IPL franchise but on February 15, the BCCI revised the schedule in which the venues of both the Test matches were swapped.
Punjab Cricket Association CEO Deepak Sharma confirmed that fans won’t be allowed to enter the stadium for the first Test match.
“First test between India and Sri Lanka will be played behind closed door with no spectator allowed,” Sharma told news agency ANI.
Virat Kohli to chase his 71st international hundred
Kohli would be hungry to score his long-awaited international hundred as it has been more than two years since the former Indian skipper scored an international hundred, his last one came against Bangladesh in the Day-Night Test match in November 2019.
India will start a new Test era under the leadership of Rohit Sharma as Virat Kohli stepped down from the captain’s role after the Test series defeat to South Africa in their backyard. Senior players like Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha were snubbed for the Sri Lanka Tests with the selectors giving opportunities to young talents like Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Priyank Panchal, Saurabh Kumar and KS Bharat.
India’s Test squad against Sri Lanka: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, R. Ashwin (subject to fitness clearance), Kuldeep Yadav, Saurabh Kumar, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain).
Also Read: IND vs SL: Virat Kohli Batting At No. 3 Would Be Ideal: Sunil Gavaskar
