Reports: Virat Kohli to be rested for South Africa T20Is

Virat Kohli, who has been through a rough patch, is set to be rested for the five-match T20I series against South Africa that is scheduled after the conclusion of IPL 2022, starting June 9. Utilising this break, Kohli will be expected to charge himself up in order to regain his form in the game before India’s tour of England.

The national selection committee, led by Chetan Sharma, is expected to allow India’s No. 1 batter to take a break from the game after spending significant time in bio-bubble. Alongside Kohli, other members of the Indian squad are also likely to be rested for the South Africa series.

“Virat Kohli in all probability will be rested for the South Africa series. He has been playing a lot of cricket and has been in the bubble for a long time. It has been a policy decision regarding Kohli and other senior players that they will be given periodic breaks from time to time,” a senior BCCI official was quoted by NDTV Sports.

Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul among other players likely to be rested

Kohli has been going through a rough phase in his career and has struggled in the ongoing IPL. Even after stepping down from captaincy, the senior pro has not been able to regain his mojo. Cricket greats like Ravi Shastri and Michael Vaughan have also shown their concern over Kohli’s form, suggesting that the player should take a break to clear his mind.

Not just Kohli, but even Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has failed to impress in the IPL while leading the Mumbai Indians. “Even skipper Rohit Sharma would require adequate rest with so much cricket being played. Some of the others include KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant, who all from time to time will need rest,” the official added.

Meanwhile, if the report is to be true, then the Indian squad will see plenty of new faces getting an opportunity to don the national jersey. An official announcement on the squad is yet to be made by the BCCI but it is understood that IPL sensations Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh have caught the selectors attention.