Star India batter Virat Kohli has withdrawn his name from the remaining three Tests of the five game series against England. According to a report in the Indian Express, Kohli informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about his availability on Friday, the day the selectors met in an online meeting to decide the squad for the Tests at Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamshala, respectively. Kohli had earlier withdrawn from the first two Tests, citing personal reasons.
Before the start of the series, Kohli had spoken to India captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors to inform them about his unavailability for the England Tests.
The former India captain had emphasized while representing the country has been his utmost priority, some personal situations demand his presence and attention.
“The BCCI respects his decision and the Board and team management has extended its support to the star batter and is confident in the abilities of the remaining squad members to step up and deliver commendable performances in the Test series,” BCCI secretary had informed through a statement last month.
On Friday, the Indian Express also reported that star batter Shreyas Iyer will also miss the remaining Tests against England. As per the report, Iyer has complained of stiffness on his back and pain in his groin area while batting and that can lead to the batter not playing the remaining matches.
The report further claimed that although the kits of all the India cricketers were sent to Rajkot from Visakhapatnam, Iyer’s equipment was sent to his home in Mumbai. The next possible step for Iyer is expected to be a rehabilitation process at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
Iyer underwent a back surgery in 2023 after an injury and with the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 just round the corner, there will be keen interest regarding his fitness.
“Iyer has informed the Indian team management and the medical staff that his back gets stiff after playing more than 30 balls and he feels pain in his groin while playing forward defence,” a source told The Indian Express.
“Post surgery, he is facing this issue for the first time so he has been advised to rest for a few weeks. He will head to NCA later.”
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