It appears that Virat Kohli, a key player on the Indian team, has flown back to India from South Africa due to an unforeseen family issue. The exact details aren’t known yet, but it seems he plans to catch up with his teammates before the first Test, set for December 26 at SuperSport Park.
Virat Kohli, absent from the white-ball portion of the tour, was also unable to join in the current three-day intra-squad practice game in Pretoria. Cricbuzz reported that he left for home on December 19, with BCCI’s approval. However, Virat Kohli’s planned to rejoin the team on the coming Friday, December 22.
Over his career, the outstanding hitter has participated in three Test visits to South Africa. He completed his last tour as a red-ball skipper in 2021–2022. With 719 runs scored at an average of 51.36 in South Africa, he also has an amazing record there.
In an attempt to win a Test series in South Africa for the first time, Rohit Sharma and co. will be anticipating Virat Kohli’s return to the starting XI.
Injury forces Ruturaj Gaikwad to return home from South Africa tour
Ruturaj Gaikwad got a slot in all formats of the team. Sadly, sickness kept him from the T20I series. Now, an injury will sideline him for all of the Test matches.
The first hitter got hurt on his finger during the second ODI in Port Elizabeth. This made him sit out for Thursday’s final match at Boland Park in Paarl. The Blue Men pulled off a 78-run victory, clinching the trilogy of matches 2-1. With Gaikwad out, newbie Rajat Patidar and Sai Sudharsan opened the game.
“(He) hasn’t fully recovered from the blow he sustained to his ring finger while fielding in the second ODI. He remains under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team,” read BCCI’s statement after the toss in third ODI.
Consequently, Gaikwad will depart from the Test squad. He’s expected to arrive in India, possibly by Saturday, December 23.
It is unclear whether Team India would replace Gaikwad in the Test lineup. Furthermore, the nature of Gaikwad’s injuries and the ensuing recuperation period are unknown.