Virat Kohli likely to miss last two Tests against Australia in December, Here's why

Team India skipper Virat Kohli is likely to skip two Test matches against Australia in the upcoming two-month long tour. The Indian skipper is expected to take paternity leave after the first two Tests of the series slated to begin on December 17 after the conclusion of the battle in the limited-overs game. The final decision is yet to be announced by the BCCI. 

In case, Kohli decides to miss out on the last two games of the series, his deputy - Ajinkya Rahane - is expected to captain the side. The Border-Gavaskar trophy will witness a tough battle this year with the return of David Warner and Steve Smith to the international side as India eyes to defend the cup. 

“The BCCI has always believed that family is a priority. In case, the skipper decides on availing paternity break, he will then be available only for the first two Test matches,” PTI quoted a senior BCCI source. 

The four-Test matches will be held in Adelaide (D/N, December 17-21), Melbourne (Dec 26-30), Sydney (Jan 7-11, 2021) and Brisbane (Jan 15-19). While the Indian side will surely miss the absence of skipper Virat Kohli, abundant options have been floated by the BCCI in the squad announced to tour Australia. The likes of Shubaman Gill and KL Rahul could get a chance in the remaining two matches if Kohli decides to opt. There is a cloud of mystery over Rohit Sharma's injury as well. 

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Kohli's deputy in limited-overs, Rohit Sharma was excluded from the squad set to tour Australia after having sustained an injury in the IPL game against Punjab. However, BCCI has reported that the opening batsman is recovering and might fly to Australia even after the series has commenced if deemed fit. Sharma has his resumed his duties as the skipper of Mumbai in the IPL as he made a comeback in the last league game against Hyderabad and also played the Qualifier 1 which paved way for Mumbai in the IPL finale. 

“A decision will be taken soon in this regard. It’s only fair that Rohit stays with the team and does his strength and conditioning work under physio Nitin Patel and trainer Nick Webb. Let’s see how it goes,” the BCCI source told PTI. 

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has joined head coach Ravi Shastri and test-specialist Cheteshwar Pujara in the Team India bio-bubble in the UAE. Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul had also joined the bio-bubble earlier after their IPL campaign ended. According to reports, the Indian team is set to hit training on November 13 in Sydney soon after the end of IPL, with its final on November 10. 

Check Team India's full squad for Australia here

India tour of Australia 

India will kick off their tour to Australia with a three-match ODI series starting on Friday, 27 November, followed by as many T20Is and four Tests. The T20Is will be played in Canberra (4 December) and Sydney (6, 8 December). 

The first Test will be a day/night affair, from 17-21 December at the Adelaide Oval. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (26-30 December) will host the Boxing Day Test, before the action moves to the Sydney Cricket Ground (7-11 January) and the Gabba (15-19 January). With India currently on top of the World Test Championship table and Australia in second, the series is expected to be a thriller, as it will also be a part of the ICC World Test Championship. 

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