Last Update on: February 19th, 2022 at 10:51 am
Join our Telegram channel and never miss a single lineup change post-toss. 🔄📢
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given Indian batter Virat Kohli a bio-bubble break ahead of the third T20I match against West Indies.
According to a report from news agency ANI, the 33-year-old Indian batter has left the Indian camp in Kolkata to visit his home.
Virat Kohli given break ahead of Sri Lanka series
The decision of the Indian board comes a day after India sealed the T20I series after eking out West Indies by eight runs in the second T20I match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Last month, Kohli stepped down from the captaincy role in all formats following India’s defeat to South Africa 2-1 in the Test series. Kohli was reportedly said to be at loggerheads with the Indian board after he was removed from the ODI captaincy.
Kohli’s batting form has been the talk of the town until his sublime fifty in the second T20I will give his critics some break from their criticism of the former Indian skipper. Kohli was part of the three-match ODI series, where he made just 26 runs from three innings.
Kohli might return back for the Sri Lanka T20I series that will start on February 24 in Lucknow. The Sri Lanka T20Is begins four days after the conclusion of the India-West Indies T20I series.
India seal the T20I series against West Indies
The Rohit Sharma-led side clinched the T20I series against West Indies with an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
India posted 186/5 in the first innings after Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, who failed to score runs in the first match, returned with brisk half-centuries. Pant remained unbeaten on 52 from 28 balls and was involved in a partnership of 76 runs from 35 balls with Venkatesh Iyer who made 33 off 18 balls.
Chasing 187, the visitors had a rusty start as openers Brandon King and Kyle Mayers failed to captivate in the PowerPlay overs.
West Indies were 59 for 2 at 8.3 overs before wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell carnage Indian bowlers around the park to remain in the chase.
Pooran brought up his seventh T20 International 50-plus score with a six over long leg to Deepak Chahar in the 17th over.
West Indies needed 37 runs from the last three overs with India having two crucial overs of Harshal. The Haryana pacer conceded just eight runs in the 18th over followed by an impressive four-run over by Bhuvneshwar Kumar where he dismissed Pooran.
As the equation dropped to 23 from four balls, Powell hammered consecutive sixes to Harshal to put the pressure back on the hosts. Harshal executed a slower ball, pitching full and outside off as the West Indies power-hitter could just find a single at long-on. The victory was also the Indian team’s 100th win in the T20 International format.