Virat Kohli's decision to take paternity leave during the tour of Australia and miss the last three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been received with different opinions across the globe. While many are criticizing the Indian captain for leaving his 'national duty', others are supportive of his decision to experience the birth of his first child.
Australian cricketer Steve Smith, who knows how fiercely competitive Kohli gets against the Australians and how much he likes playing against them, mirrors with his thoughts to stay with family during the important period.
Steve Smith told the reporters on Thursday, "No doubt, it's a big loss for India. Virat is a world-class player. I think you got to give him some credit, we all know how much he loves playing in Australia. But he is also a human being. He has got a life outside of cricket, a family that is starting."
"Credit to him for wanting to be there for the birth of his first child. We know how much he loves playing in Australia, how good he is, but like I said, credit should go to him for wanting to be there," he resonated with Kohli.
The Indian squad will miss Virat Kohli after the first Test, and Rohit Sharma, probably, for the first two Tests, and pacer Ishant Sharma for the entire Test series.
According to Smith, the loss of Ishant Sharma will hurt Team India more as the veteran pacer has a lot of experience playing Down Under.
"Ishant Sharma is probably a big loss for them at the start if he's not available. He's obviously played a lot of cricket. Maybe without him, it may not be the strongest. I'm sure they would like him to play," Smith concluded.
(With inputs from India Today)
