Virat Kohli's Potential Return to Competitive Cricket

As one of the world’s most followed sports stars on social media platforms, news that Virat Kohli had withdrawn from Test matches against England came as quite a shock. Not only did this take one of the most supported cricketers in India away from the limelight, but it also dented India’s chances in the match.

Betting expert Peter Addison explains that cricket is India’s No.1 sport and Test matches or Indian Premier League ties draw a lot of attention from spectators and bettors alike.

As a result, many fans were looking forward to India’s matches against England and an updated list of bookmakers for March saw India priced as the odds-on favourites. However, some bookmakers updated their prices following the news that Kohli would be missing.

So why did Virat Kohli pull out from the squad and when is he likely to return?

Why Virat Kohli Withdrew from the India Squad?

Virat Kohli’s withdrawal from the Indian national team squad was put down for personal reasons, sparking conversation about the possible reasons.

Despite Virat Kohli and actor wife Anushka Sharma being two of the most high-profile people in India, news about their pregnancy with a second child was kept close to their chests.

Rumours began in November, but the couple kept quiet. On February 15th it was announced that the couple welcomed a baby boy who they named Akaay. 

The announcement explained the personal reasons for Kohli’s late withdrawal from the squad.

Concern began to mount following a statement from the BCCI saying that he needed to give his undivided attention to a personal matter. Former cricketer AB de Villiers let the secret slip on his YouTube channel before trying to backtrack.

This is not the first time that Kohli has missed Test matches for personal reasons, flying home from Australia in 2021 to be at his wife’s side for the birth of their first child, a daughter named Vamika.

The main difference between these was the secrecy that surrounded their second child, and the couple wanted to continue their privacy for the time being with the BCCI asking fans to be respectful of this.

How Virat Kohli’s Withdrawal Affected the India Squad

Following Kohli’s withdrawal from the India squad, Rajat Patidar was called up as his replacement. However, a loss in the first Test by 28 runs against England followed.

Now that the team have had longer to adjust to the change, they will be hopeful of a better performance in their upcoming matches.

When is Virat Kohli returning to Cricket?

Once again it has been AB de Villiers doing the talking about Kohli’s potential return in a roundabout way. When asked on his YouTube channel about his own return, he hinted that Kohli could invite him over, indicating a return to the IPL could be on the cards.

Having not played much cricket this year, and being 35, Kohli’s career could potentially start to wind down. With his dedication to family commitments, it would not be unthinkable for his retirement to come sooner rather than later.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore will be hoping he makes his return for them soon as he clearly still has a lot to offer on the pitch, as well as a huge media draw.

If he does return soon, he will be hoping to add to his impressive medal haul to date, and with RCB’s opening match of the season coming on March 22 against Chennai Super Kings, it would make sense that he would return in time for that.

Choosing to sit out the International matches will not have been an easy decision, but once it was made, returning through the Test series could have been just as disruptive. Taking some time with his family and being ready for the new season looks like the best option all round.

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