'Respect that': Former England captains offer take on Virat Kohli missing first two Tests

Virat Kohli will not be a part of India’s squad for the first two Tests against England. Kohli opted to sit out the first two matches due to personal reasons. The five-match Test series between India and England is scheduled to start on Thursday with the opening contest being played in Hyderabad. Kohli’s absence will certainly be a big blow to Team India legendary England cricketers have shared their stance on this. While many felt aggrieved over Kohli’s withdrawal, former England skipper Nasser Hussain has called for the decision to be respected. Hussain, at the same time, pointed out that the hosts will be weakened by Kohli’s absence. “My first thought is that we wish Virat well. Like Brook, he’s taken a step back for personal reasons, and everyone in the game should respect that. Some things are more important than cricket," Hussain wrote in his column for Daily Mail. “But there’s no doubt that India, and the series, will miss him. He’s not simply one of the greatest players of all time, with over 26,000 international runs and 80 hundreds to his name. He’s also been in great form, and his absence from Thursday’s first Test at Hyderabad and next week’s second at Visakhapatnam deprives fans all over the world from watching a genius at work,” the ex-England cricketer added. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen also echoed similar opinion on X, formerly Twitter. Pietersen stated that a player’s decision to pull out owing to personal reasons should be respected. “If a sportsman pulls out for personal reasons, respect it! End of,” Pietersen wrote.

If a sportsman pulls out for personal reasons, RESPECT IT!
End of!

— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) January 22, 2024

Kohli reached Hyderabad, the venue of the first Test between India and England but reportedly did not take part in the optional training session. The right-hander featured in India’s two-match Test series against South Africa but did not participate in the first T20I against Afghanistan. Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar has reportedly been added to the squad as Kohli’s replacement. Patidar has been in good form recently, having scored 111 and 151 against England Lions and the 30-year-old was also part of the India ‘A’ squad on tour of South Africa. The Royal Challengers Bangalore cricketer was seen attending the BCCI Naman Awards on Tuesday. Patidar had made his international debut in December last year during an ODI against South Africa.