'Hyderabad Misses You, King': Virat Kohli Chants Erupt In Stadium During IND vs ENG 1st Test- WATCH

IND vs ENG: Even though Virat Kohli is not playing the 1st Test, fans were seen chanting his name at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium In Hyderabad.

Virat Kohli opted out of the first two Test matches against England citing personal reasons.

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The five-match Test series between India and England got underway with the series opener beginning at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday (January 25). While it was England who won the toss and elected to bat first, Indian bowlers were right on the money. While there was a decent turnaround of fans at the stadium considering that it was a weekday, a section of which was disappointed with the fact that there was no Virat Kohli in the Indian camp.

Notably, Kohli had opted out of the first two Test matches of the series citing personal reasons. Although the right-handed batter remained away from cricket, fans continued to support him and were seen chanting his name even as he did not play the match. The video of fans chanting Kohli's name has gone viral on social media.

Take a look at the viral video from Hyderabad here:

👑 Hyderabad misses you, King. #ViratKohli #INDvENG #INDvsENG #TeamIndia #BharatArmy #COTI🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/TgFcbRrWjd

— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) January 25, 2024

BCCI Urges Media Not To Speculate Reason Behind Kohli's Absence

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in an official release made it clear that Kohli has talked to captain Rohit and the team management before opting out. The Board said that some matters needed his undivided attention which is why he will be away from the game. Otherwise, Kohli has remained committed to playing Test match cricket at the highest level.

"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," the official statement from BCCI read.

Earlier, Kohli had opted for a break owing to personal reasons in the Afghanistan T20I series as well as during his tour of South Africa.