Indian Test and ODI skipper Virat Kohli may not play the home series against New Zealand from 17 November to 7 December. BCCI told NDTV that Kohli won’t be playing the series since he’s “very tired”. After being trolled and criticized for his game and personal relationships, he needs a break. He has already quit T20 captaincy and requires some rest to get over the mental stress. BCCI still expects him to join the team from the second test which starts on 3rd December in Mumbai but Kohli could skip it and join the squad for the South Africa tour.
A senior BCCI official told that “ Virat has requested for additional days off. We expect him to join the squad in Mumbai for the 2nd Test. He has earned the break. He has done well in Tests as a captain and led India to 2-1 lead in England. But he now needs to concentrate on his batting too. He needs some free time to focus on himself and figure out how he can get his form back. Spending some time with the family will definitely help,”
Why is Virat Kohli missing the New Zealand series?
Virat informed the board that he wants to spend more time with his family member for a refreshment before he returns to play again. During his break, he is allowed o consult his coaches but he will be staying away from cricket for some time. BCCI expects Kohli to return for the 2nd test in Mumbai but he hasn’t yet responded. It is speculated that Rohit Sharma will be leading the T20Is and Ajinkya Rahane will lead the test series if Kohli doesn’t return for the 2nd one.
Some inside board members want Virat Kohli to step down from ODIs captaincy and only lead the Test team. They desire Rohit Sharma to take over both T20 and ODI captaincy. Before drawing a conclusion a call will be taken, specifically before the South Africa tour.
Shahid Afridi stated that Virat Kohli should give up captaincy in every format to have better success as a batter.
Read more: T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli says goodbye to his captaincy career
