India and England are gearing up for a five-match India vs England Test series, commencing on January 25 (Thursday) in Hyderabad. However, just days before the first Test, the Indian team faced a significant setback as former captain and key batsman Virat Kohli opted out of the first two Tests. Kevin Pietersen, former England captain, shared his thoughts following Kohli's decision to withdraw from the Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam Tests due to personal reasons.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that Kohli informed Rohit Sharma, the captain, the team management, and the selection committee before taking the leave. The board also mentioned that the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, will soon announce a replacement for Kohli. After the BCCI revealed that Virat Kohli has opted out of the first two IND vs ENG Tests citing personal reasons, fans and cricket enthusiasts began speculating about what might be the reason.
'Respect It' Says Kevin Pietersen
Responding to this, former England captain Kevin Pietersen expressed his disapproval on X (formerly Twitter). In his post, Pietersen emphasised the importance of respecting a sportsman's decision to withdraw for personal reasons, stating, “If a sportsman pulls out for personal reasons, RESPECT IT! End of!”
"The BCCI respects his decision and the Board and team management has extended its support to the star batter and is confident in the abilities of the remaining squad members to step up and deliver commendable performances in the Test series," reads the statement issued by the BCCI on January 22 (Monday).
The statement added: "The BCCI requests the media and fans to respect Virat Kohli's privacy during this time and refrain from speculating on the nature of his personal reasons. The focus should remain on supporting the Indian cricket team as they embark on the upcoming challenges in the Test series."
India's Updated Squad For First Two IND vs ENG Tests
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.