Virat Kohli likely to miss third and fourth Tests against England, doubtful for Dharamsala as well: Report

Shreyas Iyer might just get a few more opportunities at the No 4 slot despite a lean patch with Virat Kohli likely to miss the third and fourth Tests and also appearing doubtful for the series finale in Dharamsala next month.

Kohli had been included in the squad for the first two Tests in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, but withdrew shortly before the series got underway due to “personal reasons”. And according to a report on ESPNCricinfo, Kohli is unlikely to travel with the home team to Rajkot and Ranchi, where the third and the fourth Tests are scheduled to take place from 15 and 23 February respectively.

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Neither Kohli nor the BCCI have revealed any details on the reason behind the star batter’s absence other than it relating to his family. “Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management, and the selectors and has emphasized that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention,” read a statement from the BCCI.

South African batting legend AB de Villiers, who is close to Kohli, had recently suggested that the former India captain might be expecting a second child with actor wife Anushka Sharma. Kohli and Anushka had previously welcomed daughter Vamika in January of 2021.

Iyer has been facing a lot of flak for his inability to convert starts into bigger scores both in this series as well as in the tour of South Africa, and will hope to regain his form in Rajkot. Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha had even sugested the Mumbai batter should go back to domestic cricket in order to get back into his groove.

Meanwhile, both left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul are likely to be considered for the third Test after missing out on the Visakhapatnam fixture due to injuries.

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Jadeja was seen clutching his thigh on the final day of the Hyderabad Test and was ruled out of the Vizag match with a hamstring injury. Rahul, meanwhile, had suffered a quadriceps strain and had also missed out. They had been replaced in the XI by Kuldep Yadav and Rajat Patidar respectively.

According to the report, pacer Mohammed Siraj is also likely to make a comeback in Rajkot after being rested for the Vizag Test as a precaution, and will replace Mukesh Kumar in the lineup if that indeed is the case.

The BCCI is expected to announce the squad for the remaining Tests within this week.

The series currently is level at 1-1, with India bouncing back in style with a 106-run victory in Visakhapatnam after suffering a shock 28-run loss in Hyderabad.