No Cheteshwar Pujara. No Ajinkya Rahane. No Sarfaraz Khan either. The replacement for batting stalwart Virat Kohli, who will miss the first two Tests of the upcoming India vs England series due to "personal reasons", is reportedly Rajat Patidar. (IND Vs ENG 2024 Guide | More Cricket News)
The Madhya Pradesh batter has been added to the India squad and also attended the Board of Control for Cricket in India's Naman Awards in Hyderabad on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, according to a Cricbuzz report.
The 30-year-old Patidar has been among the runs lately. He most recently scored a blazing century (151 off 158 balls) for India 'A' in Ahmedabad during the first unofficial Test against England Lions. The right-hander also smashed a ton in the warm-up fixture against the Lions, and toured South Africa in December 2023 with the A side.
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Earlier, on Monday, the BCCI announced Kohli's unavailability for the first two Tests. "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 statement from Jay Shah, BCCI's honorary secretary, read.
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"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.
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"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."
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, explosive southpaw Rinku Singh was included in the India 'A' squad for the second four-day match against England Lions to be played in Ahmedabad, starting Wednesday.
