AB de Villiers previously informed fans that Virat Kohli was absent from the series because he is anticipating the arrival of his second child.
AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli were seen together during the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup (Image via ESPNcricinfo).
A few days before the commencement of England’s tour of India, Virat Kohli withdrew from the series citing personal reasons. Numerous speculations emerged, with some suggesting that his mother was unwell, but his brother dismissed these claims. It was later disclosed that Kohli’s wife, [Name], was expecting their second child.
Shortly after this revelation, the former South African captain expressed regret for falsely stating that Sharma was pregnant. He admitted to providing inaccurate information and apologized to Kohli. In an interview with Dainik Bhaskar, AB de Villiers emphasized that Kohli had every right to take a break and extended his well wishes to him.
In place of Kohli, Rajat Patidar was selected and made his Test debut in the Vizag Test. During the two Tests he participated in, Patidar scored 32 and 9 in the respective innings he batted.
With the Third Test just a few days away, which is scheduled to be held in Rajkot, the squad has yet to be announced. This delay has led to speculation that Virat Kohli may be the reason behind it. However, sources from Sports Tak have refuted this claim, stating that Kohli is not the cause of the delay.
According to reports, the selectors are awaiting updates from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) regarding the fitness of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja. Both players missed the second Test due to injuries, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants to assess if they will recover in time for the third Test match.
According to the Source firstsportz.com