India batter Virat Kohli has withdrawn from the first two Tests of upcoming home series against England, announced the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a release on Monday (Jan 22). The board has cited personal reasons for Kohli’s withdrawal from the series. The first Test of the five-Test series will be played in Hyderabad from January 25 and Kohli, who was named in the squad for the first two Tests, will not be playing in the first two.

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“Mr. Virat Kohli has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming IDFC First Bank Test series against England, citing personal reasons,” read the statement by board.

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“Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasised that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention.”

“The BCCI respects his decision and the Board and team management extended support to the star batter. We are confident of the abilities of the remaining squad members to step up and deliver commendable performances in the Test series,” it added.

The board also advised against speculating the reasons behind Kohli’s withdrawal and said: “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.”

A replacement will be named in due course, confirmed the BCCI.

On January 21, England batter Harry Brook had also pulled out of the tour due to personal reasons. The England Cricket Board (ECB) named Dan Lawrence as his replacement in the side.

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