‘He is something that everybody wants to see’ – Ben Stokes opens up on Virat Kohli’s continued absence from Test series

England captain Ben Stokes affirms that he respects Virat Kohli’s absence in the ongoing Test series, but he is unsure whether this is advantageous or disadvantageous for the team. Notably, former India skipper Virat Kohli opted for a break in the ongoing India vs. England Test series citing personal reasons.

However, Ben Stokes feels that someone should not talk about such a matter if Virat Kohli prefers to stay silent about his privacy. The left-handed batter accepted that it was a big loss for Team India; however, he wished that everything was fine for Virat Kohli and his family. In addition, the southpaw said that everyone wants to witness the star batter on the field.

“I don’t mean to say anything disrespectful to the question. I think when it’s situations like these when someone is missing a big series and a lot of cricket due to personal reasons, which we are not sure of, we shouldn’t label that as positive or negative to our team. We should just let it be. It’s a broader loss for cricket. I wish Virat whatever he is going through all the best, I wish he comes through it. Virat Kohli, on a cricket field, is something that everybody wants to see,” Ben Stokes said being quoted by BBC.

It’s a sign of longevity, but 99, 100 or 101 doesn’t make much difference: Ben Stokes

English Test captain Ben Stokes also opened up ahead of playing his 100th Test match for his national side. Moreover, the great all-rounder says that for him, all are the numbers, and he just aims to give his best for the national side irrespective of the situation.

“It’s just a number. I don’t want it to sound like I’m not thankful for the opportunities I’ve had, but with milestones, it’s not done until it’s done. Every Test is just as important as the next one. Then there’s the next one, which will be 101 – it’s just one more. It’s a sign of longevity, but 99, 100 or 101 doesn’t make much difference,” he added further.