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While Shreyas and Ishan returned to the contracts, senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja retained their places in the top grade A+ despite the trio's retirement from T20 Internationals.
It has come to light that Ajit Agarkar, the head of selectors, and Shah were both made aware that Kohli might require a break at some point during the England series.
Digital Desk: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Monday that Virat Kohli, team India's batting mainstay has withdrawn from the first two Test matches against England for personal reasons that demand his full focus right now.
Before the five-match series in Hyderabad begins on January 25, the BCCI has asked fans and the media to refrain from conjecturing about the precise reason for his required vacation. A suitable replacement to the respected batsman will be revealed soon, the Board has promised.
"Virat Kohli has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming IDFC First Bank Test series against England, citing personal reasons," BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.
The BCCI confirmed that Virat Kohli informed team management and captain Rohit Sharma of his decision.
"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 release further stated.
It has come to light that Ajit Agarkar, the head of selectors, and Shah were both made aware that Kohli might require a break at some point during the England series.
Kohli recently chose to skip the opening Twenty20 International match against Afghanistan for personal reasons. Before that, he had taken a short break during India's tour of South Africa, also for private reasons. He missed a practice match within the squad during this period and left for London soon after reaching South Africa.
After his daughter Vamika was born in 2021, Kohli took a paternity vacation, which was unrelated to an injury, during a Test series. He was limited to playing the series' opening Test.
Patidar vs Sarfaraz vs Pujara as replacement
It is commonly known that the two top candidates to succeed Kohli are Mumbai's Sarfaraz Khan and Madhya Pradesh's Rajat Patidar, both of whom are strong players for India A.
In a recent unofficial Test match, Patidar displayed his abilities by amassing an outstanding 151 against the England Lions. Sarfaraz also made a significant contribution, reaching a half-century in the game's second innings.
With nearly 20,000 runs in first-class cricket, including 7000 in Test matches, there is conjecture on the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara's possible presence in the lineup.
It will be interesting to see, though, if Agarkar's current selection committee is prepared to move forward with new talent or embrace the past.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, and KS Bharat as the wicketkeeper will be the batting order for the first Test.
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