Asia Cup 2018: Indian fans in UAE dejected with Virat Kohli's absence

The Indian team management has made a major decision by choosing to rest Indian skipper Virat Kohli for the upcoming Asia Cup which is to be held in the UAE. In the absence of Kohli, it’ll be Rohit Sharma who’ll lead the side in the tournament. This decision has left some Indian fans in the UAE miffed at the prospect of being unable to behold the world no.1 batsman in action.

Currently, the Indian team is away touring in England for an extensive series ranging over all three formats. Kohli, who’s almost had a full season up until now, has spoken a great deal about the need to regulate workload among the players. The 29-year old suffered a shoulder injury ahead of his much-anticipated county stint, thereby raising questions about if the excessive pressure that had been put on him.

Indian fans in UAE left disappointed

During the squad announcement on Saturday (September 1), the Indian board in a press note said, “The committee in consultation with the team management took a unanimous decision to rest Virat Kohli for the tournament.” While Sharma will lead the team in Kohli’s absence, Shikhar Dhawan will be seen as the vice-captain. India will begin their campaign at Dubai International Stadium on September 18, where they’ll play the qualifier from an ongoing event involving the UAE national team.

Manish Dhakan, a Dubai-based India supporter, believes that enthusiasm will be unaffected, although he is sad to miss out on seeing the world’s No 1-ranked batsman in the flesh, reported The National.

“I do have tickets, and of course it is disappointing with him not being there, but the Indian team that has been named has all the other stars. The side is plenty good enough for any Indian supporter to want to go and watch the team play. Unfortunately, I’ve never watched Kohli play live and it would have been something I’d have really looked forward to. His presence on the field encourages not just the players, but the fans, too. But with MS Dhoni there, I still think we will see a formidable India side playing, irrespective of Kohli’s absence,” said Dhakan

Echoing the same sentiment, Nashwan Nasir, another Dubai-based supporter commented, “I knew Virat has had a back injury and could be rested, but I went ahead and got tickets. I am pretty disappointed he is not there, because he is the star attraction. That being said, he is coming off a long season, has scored tons of runs, and needs to manage his body. As a fan, it is disappointing. As someone who thinks he understands cricket, it is understandable. It would have been great to see him competing in the prestigious India-Pakistan game, the first time we have had that here in 20-odd years. The occasion is big for us fans, but it is understandable he has taken the break.”

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