The real reason Virat Kohli missed the first two Test matches against England, as disclosed by former South Africa captain AB de Villiers on Saturday, is that the Indian player and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child. Although he was originally included in the team for the first two Test matches, Kohli withdrew from both matches prior to the commencement of the Hyderabad match, citing personal reasons.
The major discovery came via a question from a fan on De Villiers’ YouTube channel during a Q&A session. The fan inquired if De Villiers had checked with Kohli about his availability for the next three Test matches against England after the latter withdrew from the first two Tests.
“He’s alright, that’s all I know. He is skipping the first two Test matches since he is spending some time with his family. I won’t be confirming anything more. I am really excited to see him again. The former batter for the Royal Challengers Bangalore remarked, “He is fine, he is doing well.”
De Villiers started reading his text message discussion with Kohli, in an attempt to provide additional context for his announcement. It was in this exchange that he revealed the former captain of India and his wife Anushka are expecting their second child.
“I’ll just watch what he said. I just want to show you a little love, that’s all,” he continued. “I wanted to check in with you for a while now, biscuits, so I wrote to him. “How are you doing?” I simply need to be with my family right now,’ he stated. I’m doing pretty good.
Indeed, he is expecting his second child. Indeed, he values things and it’s family time. You lose sight of your purpose in life if you are not authentic and honest to yourself. Family is, I believe, what most people prioritize. Virat cannot be judged for it.
Three days prior to the commencement of the first Test match against Ben Stokes’ team, Kohli made the decision to withdraw from the match in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. The BCCI statement claims that Kohli spoke with India captain Rohit Sharma and the team management, stating that although playing for his nation is still his first priority, he currently needs to pay “undivided attention” to personal matters.
“Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasized that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention,” according to the statement.
With Rajat Patidar announced as Kohli’s replacement for the first two Test matches, the Indian cricket board asked supporters and the media to refrain from speculating about the player’s absence.
“During this period, the BCCI asks the public and media to respect Virat Kohli’s privacy and to avoid making assumptions about the nature of his personal reasons. The comprehensive board statement said, “The priority should continue to be providing assistance to the Indian cricket team as they take on the forthcoming challenges in the Test series.
If Kohli would be back for the final three games against England, De Villiers did not say.