• Source:JND
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India star batter Virat Kohli has pulled out of the first two Tests against England citing personal reasons, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Monday.

India are set to play a five-match Test series against England, starting on Thursday, January 25 in Hyderabad. The Indian board confirmed that Kohli's replacement will be announced soon.

Kohli was named in the squad for the opening two Tests of the series but the former captain has now made himself unavailable due to personal situations after having a conversation with captain Rohit Sharma and team management. 

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"Virat Kohli has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming Test series against England, citing personal reasons," BCCI said in a statement.

"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," it added.

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Earlier, Kohli missed the first T20I against Afghanistan in Mohali due to personal reasons and returned for the last two matches of the series on his comeback in the format.

BCCI further requested fans to respect Kohli's privacy and refrain from spreading any speculation regarding the player's withdrawal from the squad.

"The BCCI respects his decision and the Board and team management has extended its support to the star batter and is confident in the abilities of the remaining squad members to step up and deliver commendable performances in the Test series. The BCCI requests the media and fans to respect Virat Kohli's privacy during this time and refrain from speculating on the nature of his personal reasons. The focus should remain on supporting the Indian cricket team as they embark on the upcoming challenges in the Test series," the statement read.

Previously, Kohli left the Indian Test squad midway for the birth of his first child during Australia's tour in 2020-21. He played the first two Tests of the series while Ajinkya Rahane led the side in the remaining two matches as visitors registered a historic 2-1 series win.  

India squad for first 2 Tests against England:  Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.