Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle has sent his wishes to Virat Kohli via a tweet in which he supported the batsman’s decision. Pointing out how Virat Kohli is passionate about Test cricket, Bhogle reckons Kohli’s reason must be a “deeply compelling” for him to pull out from the first two Tests against England.
Kohli had arrived in Hyderabad, the venue for the first Test match, on Sunday morning. But on Monday afternoon, the BCCI announced that the 35-year-old has taken leave from the board and had a chat with the management about withdrawing himself from the first two Tests due to personal reasons.
“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,” the BCCI said in a statement.
Upon hearing this news, Harsha Bhogle gave his opinion on Twitter. Bhogle asked fans to wish Virat Kohli the best in what seems to be a tough phase.
Bhogle tweeted, “If someone who is such an avid supporter of test cricket and so passionately loves playing for India chooses to miss two games, it must be a deeply compelling reason. So let us wish Virat Kohli well, hope this phase passes and that he returns happier.”
If someone who is such an avid supporter of test cricket and so passionately loves playing for India chooses to miss two games, it must be a deeply compelling reason. So let us wish Virat Kohli well, hope this phase passes and that he returns happier.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 22, 2024
BCCI asks media to give Virat Kohli privacy
In what was a rare statement of request from the BCCI, the board urged the media and fans to respect Virat Kohli’s privacy and not speculate anything.
The statement added, “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 board will name the replacement for Kohli soon. The players in contention are Rajat Patidar, Cheteshwar Pujara, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, and Sarfaraz Khan.
