Reports: Virat Kohli to miss entire England series, KL Rahul-Ravindra Jadeja expected to play in 3rd Test

Ace India batter Virat Kohli has taken leave for the remainder of the Test series against England, as per reports. Notably, Kohli missed the first two games in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, respectively, after he withdrew before the opening Test due to personal reasons. 

The selection committee of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is expected to name the squad for the remaining three games very soon. Notably, the third Test to begin on February 15, at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. Jasprit Bumrah might be benched for the forthcoming Test and Mohammed Siraj could probably make a comeback after missing the Vizag Test.

Besides, a BCCI official previously stated that Kohli will not be included in the squad, but will be added when he confirms his availability. However, as per a report by Cricbuzz, Kohli has taken leave for the whole of the series and will most likely not play in the remainder of the home Tests against England. Interestingly enough, earlier this week, legendary South Africa captain and Virat Kohli's close friend AB de Villiers revealed that the India batter and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child. However, the 35-year-old cricketer is yet to speak about the same.

“I wrote to him (Kohli), ‘I’ve been wanting to check with you one thing for a while now, how are you doing?’ He said, ‘How are you, Just need to be with my family right now.’ So, yes his second child is on the way, it’s family time. You cannot judge Virat for that, and yes we miss him but he’s made the right decision. We wish him all the very best for the great blessing of being able to become a father for the second time and All the Best to Anushka as well,” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

Also read: Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma expecting their second child, confirms AB de Villiers

Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul to make their return

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, who were both sidelined for the second Test, are likely to feature in the forthcoming squad. However, the National Cricket Academy (NCA) has yet to give an update regarding their fitness. Hence, any decision in this regard is likely to be taken after the final assessment by the top academy of the nation.

Also read: IND vs ENG: BCCI Official gives major update on Virat Kohli's availability for remaining Tests