Citing personal reasons, Virat Kohli has withdrawn from the first two Test matches against England.

The BCCI announced on Monday that Virat Kohli had withdrawn from the first two Test matches against England for personal reasons. Citing personal concerns, Virat Kohli has asked to be removed from the first two Test matches of the forthcoming IDFC First Bank Test series against England by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The five-match series will off on Thursday in Hyderabad.

While defending his nation has always been his first priority, Virat Kohli has made it clear in conversations with Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management, and the selectors that some personal problems require his presence and full attention.

The BCCI is requesting that at this period, the public and media respect Virat Kohli’s privacy and abstain from making assumptions about the nature of his personal motivations. Supporting the Indian cricket team as they take on the next obstacles in the Test series should continue to be the major priority.

A successor will shortly be announced by the Men’s Selection Committee.

Ahead of their five-match Test series against India, the England cricket team arrived at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Sunday night.

The fifth and final Test of the long-format series between India and England will take place in Dharamshala on March 11 after it begins in Hyderabad on January 25.

England batsman Dan Lawrence was called up to replace young batsman Harry Brook, who withdrew from the five-Test India series, just before the squad left for India.

Ben Stokes will captain a revamped England Test side for the next series.

England Test squad for India series

Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (Wk), Dan Lawrence, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Ben Stokes (C), James Anderson, Rehan Ahmed, John Root, and Mark Wood.