BIG NEWS | Virat Kohli pulls out of IND vs AFG 1st T20I on eve of match, Rahul Dravid reveals reason

Indian men's cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid has confirmed that veteran batsman Virat Kohli will miss out on the first T20I against Afghanistan. According to Dravid, Kohli will not be available due to personal reasons. 

3 things you need to know

• This is Virat Kohli's first T20I series after the 2022 T20 World Cup
• Kohli missed out on the white-ball leg of the South Africa series as well
• Kohli is expected to return to the side from the second T20I vs Afghanistan

Also Read: Is BCCI looking for an Ishan Kishan substitute? Big update emerges on IND batter's availability

Why is Virat Kohli not playing the first T20I?

The exact reason for his absence is not known but Dravid has said that Kohli will miss the first T20I due to personal reasons. However, it has been speculated that Kohli will be busy celebrating his daughter Vamika's third birthday, which is on January 11, the same day as the first T20I against Afghanistan. 

The former India captain will be available for the next two matches of the three-match series, Rahul Dravid said during the press conference on Wednesday, adding, "Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma will be opening the innings" for India in the series opener on Thursday.

The three-match series between India and Afghanistan will start on January 11 in Mohali, Punjab. The second match is scheduled to be played on January 14 in Indore. The third and final contest will be held on January 17 in Bengaluru. 

India’s Squad for 3 T20Is against Afghanistan: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar