NEW DELHI:
BCCI secretary Jay Shah
extended his support to
India's batting maestro Virat Kohli
's decision to step away from the ongoing
Test series against England
, emphasizing Kohli's right to request personal leave.
Speaking to reporters at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) stadium in Rajkot ahead of India's third Test against England, Shah backed Kohli's decision, stating, "If a person, for the first time in a 15-year career, asks for personal leave, it's his right. Virat is not a player who will ask for leave for no reason. We need to trust our player and back him."
Kohli, 35, had initially withdrawn from the first two Tests of the series, citing
personal reasons
. However, it was later announced that he would miss the entire five-match series against England. The decision was met with respect and support from the board.
"Virat Kohli will remain unavailable for selection for the remainder of the series due to personal reasons. The Board fully respects and supports Mr. Kohli's decision," stated the board in an official statement.
Responding to inquiries about Kohli's potential participation in the upcoming
ICC T20 World Cup
in June, Shah stated, "We will talk about him [soon]."
He also confirmed that India's limited-overs captain,
Rohit Sharma
, would lead the team in the forthcoming T20 World Cup event.
"Rohit has the ability, we know. As he showed in the ODI World Cup where we won 10 matches in a row until the final. I am confident that India will lift the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma's captaincy in Barbados," Shah expressed with optimism.
Shah's remarks came as the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium was renamed after veteran cricket administrator and former first-class cricketer Niranjan Shah.
BCCI unveils new squad for remaining 3 tests against England, Virat Kohli to miss out
(With inputs from ANI)
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