Team India’s star batter, Virat Kohli, will not be available for the first T20I of the series against Afghanistan, starting January 11. The batting stalwart, who made his long-awaited return to the T20I squad in the three-match series, will miss the match due to personal reasons, head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed in a pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
Virat Kohli last played a T20I against England in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-finals. Alongside the 35-year-old batter, Rohit Sharma also returned to the squad and is expected to lead the side in the opening match in Mohali.
Gill Likely To Take Virat Kohli Place
With Virat Kohli missing from the primary T20I, Gill will probably take over as no.3 in the Indian batting request, as Dravid affirmed Rohit and Jaiswal will open for the side. Tilak and Rinku will probably hold their spots in the XI, however, there remains anticipation on the best option wicketkeeper job, where Jitesh Sharma will be facing Sanju Samson.
Many New Batsman In The Series
There was significant speculation over the return of the star duo of the side; the prospect of their return was met with criticism from many fans, thanks to the emergence of multiple youngsters in their roles. Over the past year, many batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Ruturaj Gaikwad were impressed with solid performances in the top order.
Kohli Remains As The Top Batsman For Team
In any case, with the T20 World Cup moving toward June this year and Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav staying missing because of wounds, the BCCI top of the food chain put its confidence in the senior team. Virat Kohli got the fourth situation among the main run-scorers in the Indian Head Association (IPL) last season, hoarding 639 runs in 14 matches.
The T20I series against Afghanistan will be India’s last assignment in the shortest format before the T20 World Cup; the focus will shift to the five-Test series against England following the Afghanistan T20Is. The Indian Premier League season will likely occur across March, April, and May.