HT Digital,
New Delhi, Feb 7: As team India battles a weakened batting line-up in the ongoing Test series against England, star batter Virat Kohli, who was absent in the first two matches, is expected to miss the third and fourth Tests in Rajkot and Ranchi, reports ESPNcricinfo.
The former Indian captain’s participation in the final game of the series in Dharamshala is also uncertain. Kohli had earlier withdrawn from the first two Tests against England due to personal reasons, as stated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The BCCI has urged the media and fans to respect Kohli’s privacy during this period. Rajat Patidar, a right-handed batsman, replaced Kohli for the first two Test matches against England.
Patidar made his international debut in December last year during the third ODI match against South Africa, scoring 22 runs from 16 deliveries. Despite losing the first Test by 28 runs, India won the second Test by 106 runs. Virat’s last appearance was in the T20I series against Afghanistan last month, where he scored 29 runs in two matches.
