Virat Kohli to Play South Africa ODI Series: Report

Virat Kohli will lead the Test team in South Africa & Rohit Sharma will miss those games due to a hamstring injury.

Virat Kohli during a training session at the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Image: BCCI  

India’s Test captain Virat Kohli’s availability for the South Africa ODIs is clouded with uncertainty, with reports stating different things.

Will he or won’t he? The BCCI is yet to name the squad for the ODIs and there hasn’t been an official comment yet.

While initial reports suggested that Kohli will skip the ODIs to spend time with his family, as his daughter’s first birthday is on 11 January, another report said the opposite.

"There is no truth in reports of Virat skipping the ODIs," said a top BCCI member was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz on Tuesday evening. "He is a totally committed cricketer and there is no doubt about his participation," the report added.

The India ODI squad is expected to be named after Christmas

Earlier on Tuesday morning, a Times of India report said, “"Kohli is going to miss the ODIs as he is taking time off to celebrate his daughter Vamika's first birthday. Vamika was born on January 11 last year and Kohli is planning a holiday with his family after the conclusion of the Test series."

Kohli is meanwhile scheduled to address a press conference on Wednesday, in the afternoon ahead of India’s departure for South Africa. The Indian team, who are in quarantine in Mumbai, will leave on 16 December for a tour of 3 Tests and as many ODIs.

India have already been dealt a big blow for the Tests with Rohit Sharma being ruled out due to injury and there is no clarity about his availability for the ODIs yet. Rohit was recently named India’s white-ball captain.