India’s swashbuckling batter Virat Kohli set to miss 1st T20I match vs Afghanistan due to personal reasons

According to sources, India’s star cricketer Virat Kohli is set to miss the first T20I game against Afghanistan, which is all set to take place on January 11 at Mohali in Punjab. In addition, the three matches of the T20I series are set to serve as the last and final preparation for the T20 World Cup 2024, which is all set to take place on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies.

Notably, India’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, revealed that the stylish right-handed batter will miss the first game due to personal reasons in the pre-match conference. However, batting stalwart Virat Kohli has returned to India’s T20I side after a 10-wicket loss in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup against England in Adelaide.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has also made his way into the squad alongside Virat Kohli. The 36-year-old skipper will lead India in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, and the first T20I will be played at the Punjab Cricket Affiliation Stadium in Mohali on Thursday.

Virat Kohli serves as the primary player for Team India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024

Virat Kohli was the crucial player for India in the recently concluded ODI World Cup 2023, as he played an imperative role in guiding the Men in Blue to the final of the tournament. In addition, the 35-year-old cricketer was the leading run-scorer of the tournament. Meanwhile, the RCB stalwart serves as the primary player for Team India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, as the side is still seeking their first win since 2013.

Check out the squad of India and Afghanistan in the upcoming T20I series 2024

India Squad: 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.

Afghanistan Squad: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Hazratullah Zazai, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmat Shah, Karim Jannat, Mohammad Saleem, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmad, Naveen-ul-haq, Fareed Ahmad, and Noor Ahmad.