The famous Indian batsman Virat Kohli has been ruled out of the first Twenty20 international match against Afghanistan, which is scheduled to begin on January 11. In a press conference, India’s head coach Rahul Dravid disclosed the information, saying that Kohli will miss the opening Twenty20 International match for personal reasons.
Alongside Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli just returned to the Indian T20I team and was originally scheduled to participate in all three T20Is. But it appears that Kohli’s last-minute effort has derailed those plans, and India will now have to consider another player for the number three place in the opening Twenty20 International at Mohali.
All three matches are very important from a World Cup perspective because this is India’s final series before the T20 World Cup 2024, which is scheduled to begin on June 1st. Although Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma haven’t played T20Is since the 2022 T20 World Cup, the team administration and selectors are eager to have them participate in such a major competition.
Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal will begin the innings for India, according to coach Rahul Dravid, meaning Sanju Samson may bat at number three in Virat Kohli’s absence.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, will be eligible for the second and third Twenty20 Internationals and would be anxious to make a mark right away to dispel any doubts about his ability to participate in the Twenty20 World Cup.